


Random facts about Vorhartung Castle and the Council of Counts

by RGmolpus



Category: Vorkosigan Saga - Lois McMaster Bujold
Genre: Alternate History, Betrayal, Gen, Oh Ghod Not That!, Original Arsehole
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-19
Updated: 2020-01-27
Packaged: 2020-07-08 08:34:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 32
Words: 33,062
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19866637
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RGmolpus/pseuds/RGmolpus
Summary: (OR, What happens when you let a gaggle of Grad Students loose on a rewrite of the tourist booklet for the place)Vorhartung Castle - home of the Council of Counts, Center of the Barrayaran government. Within its walls is a Museum, Library, Offices for all the Counts, Ministers, and Members of the General Staff, Conference rooms; the mysterious room 3B12, banqueting rooms, and much more.Who were the Vorhartungs? Where are they now? Who are they in relation to the Vorbarras? How did they lose their ancestral home?What's the Mystery of room 3B12? where is it, exactly?What ghosts walk it's corridors; what dungeon cells lie inside - who is the mysterious Gentleman in White seen on the parapets?(Now with a MAP! Whee! Chapter 16)





	1. Slamming on the brakes.

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [A Charity Case](https://archiveofourown.org/works/295981) by [miss_lanyon](https://archiveofourown.org/users/miss_lanyon/pseuds/miss_lanyon). 
  * Inspired by [1632: Eric Flint's Ring of Fire](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/502468) by Eric Flint, Creator and Lead Author. 
  * Inspired by [ATOMIC ROCKETS - To Space the way God and Robert Heinlein intended!](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/502471) by Winchell Chung. 
  * Inspired by [Ivan and the Armsmen](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14303994) by [Rose_Milburn](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rose_Milburn/pseuds/Rose_Milburn). 
  * Inspired by [Birthday Wishes](https://archiveofourown.org/works/1180687) by [Zoya1416](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zoya1416/pseuds/Zoya1416). 
  * Inspired by [Ascendance](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17764553) by [optimouse](https://archiveofourown.org/users/optimouse/pseuds/optimouse). 
  * Inspired by [Pictures at an exhibition 2 -Hassadar Museum of the Resistance](https://archiveofourown.org/works/6426370) by [ms_cataclysm](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ms_cataclysm/pseuds/ms_cataclysm). 



> TO EVERYONE:
> 
> The Insane Plot Bunny is currently squeezing out babies under my scalp at a prodigious rate; it's post them here or ..... 
> 
> =====================================
> 
> This is a VERY AU history of Barrayar; concentrating on the two families; the Hartungs and the Barries. Other families of note will appear and a (reasonable) explanation of the development of the feudal system of modern Barrayar will be revealed.
> 
> Canonical historical characters will appear, each in appropriate historical context. (Who was Varauder Tau, and what did he really do?)
> 
> Family names will distort and change, and family alliances will develop, grow, and change. Feuds will appear; massacres take place, lovers will elope.
> 
> I may draw on people's names (Tuckerization! Yea!) when populating this; if you don't want your name used (or you do!) , post a comment. 
> 
> It's not comprehensive; I'm not going to go year by year thru five hundred years of history! This is a broad view of a colony that had to shift from a high-technology effort to a low-technology effort in a period of five years, and then slowly recreating an industrial base with memories and very few documents to guide them. 
> 
> This is almost a reverse of the '1632' series by Eric Flint; He tossed a high-Tech group of hillbillies into the low to mid tech Hundred Years war; one group slowing down as the other sped up; Barrayar slammed on the brakes and slowly picked up the pieces!
> 
> Yes, Novo Salamis becomes Vorbarr Sultana... wait for it!
> 
> [In reading a timeline of the Vorkoverse, Antigravity wasn't invented until ~200 years before the end of the Time of Isolation. Any reference to such prior to the end of the TOI should be read as helicopters, light and medium aircraft, and hovercraft. I'll be editing to fix the references.]
> 
> This is a history of people who were very nasty at times. Be warned; babies cry, splinters get pulled, and horses...exhaust.

A history of Vorhartung Castle. 

The Count without a District, Room 3B12, and the heir that isn't an heir: the Hartung family.

The current meeting place for the Council of Counts, and the official Headquarters for the Ministries is Vorhartung Castle on the north bluffs above the rapids on the Barr river, in the center of Vorbarr Sultana. The building is a massive double square of stone and architectural fancy, covered in sculpture, gargoyles, and spires. The core of the building is over five hundred years old; being built at the time of Fifty Thousand Firsters using the high technology tools and methods available when the Colony started. 

It was originally the headquarters for the colonization effort, where all the companies that were part of the exploitation had their primary staff. The site on the bluff gave an open line of site to the sky, for easy contact with the orbiting satellite constellations, and a direct line of sight to the sole spaceport on the plain to the east of the nascent city of Novo Salamis.

After the First Year of Fire, in Colony year 40; when a stellar event closed off the known wormhole to Barrayar, and a major stellar flare damaged or destroyed most of the satellites in orbit; a series of battles and conflicts ensued, as the Fifty Thousand Firster colonists and the Twenty thousand Builders coped with the sudden limitations the isolation brought. The Colonists were spread across the continent, in farms, ranches, mining and quarry sites; most of the Builders were in the few cities and towns. The different aims of the two groups brought conflict; the Colonists, who had planned to stay on Barrayar permanently, desired to use all available resources to extend the terraforming effort that had begun. The Builders, who had arrived to install and construct the required physical plants and structures that the Exploitation Syndicate had planned, wanted to use the remaining resources to refurbish one of the Jumpships still in orbit to do another survey of the system to try and find another wormhole - that the Astrocartographers on the ground expected would have formed - that would reestablish contact with the Nexus.

During the early exploration of the Barrayaran system, the Eta Ceta government insisted that they had found the system first; via a wormhole on a path from Eta Ceta. The wormhole was difficult to use, and one end was frequently occluded by an asteroid belt; but it could be used to access (so the Eta Cetans claimed) Barrayar. The Builders wanted to seek out that wormhole, and use it as an escape path from this now isolated system.

[This claim by Eta Ceta formed the basis of the Cetagandan Empire's claim on Barrayar, that culminated in the Invasion and occupation of the world after it was rediscovered. There has been no independent confirmation of this claimed 'Second' path to Barrayar by any other survey effort.]

One of the main construction and engineering firms of the Exploitation effort was the Hartung Engineering and Construction Company, of Boston, Massachusetts, Terra. A remote relative of the owners of the company had been on the survey ship that had found Barrayar; using that as an excuse, the Company bulled its was to become one of the main contractors of the Exploration effort. Several Senior members of the Family relocated to Barrayar, as they could see that the development of the planet would be insanely profitable; from it's food and mineral production, and Astro resource exploitation. Barrayar had high-grade Platinum group metal ores, and the second Gas Giant 's atmosphere was an ideal mix for ramscoop harvesting (the first Gas Giant's atmosphere was contaminated with sulfur, making it unusable as a source of fuel). 

The Hartung family was split between those who had decided to throw their lot in to the terraforming effort, and those who wanted to try to find an escape route. The resources of the Colony couldn't support both efforts - it was a matter of what would the fabrication mills produce before the power and spare parts ended - farming tools or spaceship parts. The Ships still in orbit needed major repairs after the flare, very few shuttles were available, as only a few had been on the ground during the flare. The Terraforming faction wanted to strip the ships and stations in orbit of their technology, with a minor effort to recreate the weather and communication satellite network. 

Ultimately, the Terraforming faction won. The few power plants that were in place had a lifespan of forty years, with perhaps one refueling possible. While there were ample supplies of Uranium and Thorium available on Barrayar, the available chemical processing plants could not produce all the chemicals needed, nor could the colonists completely rebuild the turbines and generators as they wore out. The transformers and switch gear in the transmission yards that distributed electricity were also at risk; there was no real possibility to replace that equipment if it was damaged, no way to upgrade or expand the network now that the industrial base was limited due to the damage caused by the Year of Fire.

The Hartung Family became one of the leading groups of the Colonization effort; other construction company managers had hoped to escape - and refused to extend themselves to lead the colony; but the Hartungs slowly dominated the Colonies management board.

Another company, the Barrie Brother's Chemical and Engineering Firm (Of Brno, Czech Independent Republic), had made the same decision as the Hartung; they had arrived to build and operate several mines and quarries, to produce concrete, gravel, sand, glass, and other building supplies, along with a range of industrial chemicals and fertilizers. Hartung had concentrated on the Civil Engineering works for the Colony, especially the Spaceport and and the Capitol. 

Barrie Brother's was interested in supplying the people who were involved with the Terraforming effort - The Farmers, Ranchers, Foresters, Miners, who were creating the new planet's population. Their Headquarters was in Novo Salamis, but the bulk of their operations was spread across the continent. In the twenty years of initial development and exploitation, before the Year of Fire, they had built and were operating three sand, clay, and gravel quarries to supply the other construction companies, two chemical processing plants that made fertilizers, pesticides, and industrial chemicals, a Glass smelter and casting plant, and a Copper smelting, refining, and drawing plant.

A system of transcontinental roadways had been built during the initial twenty year period; with many bridges installed and tunnels cut. A set of regional electric power grids, based on generator station installed to support Mines or factory complexes and their accompanying towns, meant that most of the Colonist had advanced technology at hand. Remote farming and ranching stations had windmill or hydropower power stations. The three continental river watersheds were dredged to allow barges and mid-draft boats passage, linking much of the northern continent with fast, economical bulk transport. Plans were in place, and any supplies were in hand, to create a large railway network, using electric locomotives, powered by a system of hydro-power generators; this effort was cancelled in the wake of the Year of Fire.

The loss of the communication satellites, and the destruction of the wired power network in the first Year of Fire left the colonization effort splintered into hundred of small, isolated pockets. In the year of chaos afterwards, as mentioned, a small civil war erupted between the Firsters and the Builders; with the Firsters eventually winning. All efforts turned to terraforming by all means possible; the chemical plants shifted their production to concentrate on fertilizers and agricultural chemicals; Mines were shut down as the ores they produced were not in demand. Quarries and gravel pits stayed in operation, to supply materials for building more roads. 

Control of everything shifted from the central authority of Company Headquarters in Novo Salamis to the towns and stations in the countryside. Regional co-ops grew around the industrial sites; or around the ranch or farm stations. The managers of those locations became the default rulers of these small communities; or a family grew into a leadership role by constant demonstration of their capability and competence.

As an example; the Barrie Family started printing hard copies of all their engineering and science documents when the solar flare had ended, and the computer and power networks were restored. Bartholomew Barrie recognized that another solar flare like that would permanently destroy the electronic and computer systems, eliminating all the stored libraries. He ran the printers and plotters for days creating a permanent library of every technology text available; printing multiple copies of the teaching texts and reference volumes in storage. 

Communications across the continent was slowly re-established; by primitive radios, cobbled together from spares, or by post riders and riverboats. As messages started to flow; the Hartung family in Novo Salamis sent word to every settlement, asking that they send representatives to a grand meeting in Novo Salamis the next year; to start deciding on how the colonization could continue.


	2. Actual Random Facts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Strange details about the building itself...
> 
> (May have things added as they are revealed/imagined , got suggestions?)

Vorhartung Castle is shaped like the Digit '8'; two adjacent ovals or circles. The Easternmost oval is the oldest section; within it's are remnants of the original office building. The Western oval was originally a multi-story parking garage (the Builders were thinking ahead); it was slowly converted to offices in spurts and starts. 

The outer wall around the building is one of the oldest structures in Vorbarr Sultana; Granite blocks were fused into a massive wall 500 meters from the office building; to be a final refuge for the local population if needed. Similar refuge circles exist at three other places on Barrayar; one on the Western coast at Port Philip, another in the Southwest at BangBao City, and the third is abandoned in the Southeast inside of McIver National Park. How it was done is still a mystery.

Due to the shape of the building, Vorhartung Castle is often referred to as the "Eight-sided Asylum", or "Eight-sided Puzzle Pit". This is in keeping with the nickname for Imperial Security Headquarters - "Cockroach Central", and the Imperial Opera House - "Soar Throat Charlie's ".

The Imperial Residence is on the other bank of the river gorge; the two sides of the gorge are 50 meters different in elevation, with Vorhartung Castle being on the higher side. Many scurrilous comments have been made about this fact of geology.

The Star Bridge is a complex of five bridges that span the Barr Gorge in the space of a kilometer. The complex was designed and built with an eye to the future needs of the growing colonial capitol city. The bridge complex crosses itself in a complex pattern that from the air is a multi-pointed star, with arches and spans providing mutual support the the roadways. In it's long history, it's never been shut down, tho the Cetagandans severely damaged three spans during their evacuation (Panicked flight?). Emperor Yuri's first commission to his favorite Architect/Builder Count Dono Vorrutyer (The designer of the Municipal Stadium and the Impsec Headquarters) was to rebuild the destroyed arches. Count Dono's repairs and redecoration of the bridge complex is regarded as his finest work.

Two of the spans reach from the lowlands below the bluffs to the highlands above. These two roadways are the only easy link between the top of the cliffs and the river bottoms below for fifty kilometers. The spans loop and curl to maintain an easy grade; making the total distance traveled over five kilometers. The total rise is six hundred and thirty meters.

(Imagine a highway mixmaster, stretching over the Niagara Gorge. Impressive, no? Covered in Victorian gingerbread and wrought iron gewgaws, tastefully done. Some opine that Dono went mad while doing the rebuild.)

During the Time of Isolation, the wide zone around the Castle inside the perimeter walls was used to stable the horses and carriages of the Counts who were attending council business. Fifteen boys were employed to keep the place clean, and had the privilege of selling the product of their labors, to supplement the meager pay the Counts supplied. The revenue the boys made from selling the nascent fertilizer became the beginnings of several fortunes; and four of the cleaner boys eventually became Counts in their adult years. 

The Castle has it's own water treatment plant; and cisterns holding 25,000 kiloliters of water.

The Castle has it's own hospital, but no morgue. It's illegal to die in the Castle; anyone in mortal condition is officially transferred to the Coach House; the main entrance to the complex; to await an ambulance, or a hearse.

In the bluffs underneath the Castle compound are several caverns, excavated by the Firsters. Within those caverns are the diplomatic archives of the Council, pantries, wine cellars, and much more.

Admittance to these caverns is strictly controlled; even Impsec blue clearance personnel are allowed in only with escort. Most Counts have only been to the pantry rooms and wine cellars; no Emperors have ever been allowed in. 

(Lord Ivan Vorpatril asked Count Vorpatril to arrange a tour from his birthday. Falco obliged, and Ivan was insufferable about it to Miles all summer.)


	3. The Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Representatives of the Colonization effort gather to decide what to do; someone throws a screwball at the last moment.

The Hartung family became the official hosts of the meeting; it finally convened nine months after the first messages were sent. The major part of the delay was the time it took for the messages to cross the continent, and the representatives to walk or ride the distance. This time allowed the Hartung family to build accommodations in the city to house the delegates; about two kilometers from the southern side of the river gorge. This area eventually became the Caravansera; the tradition place for travelers and caravans to end their trip. 

The existing Corporate house was the meeting place for the conference; it had the halls and chambers for such. The courtyard around the building easily accepted the carriages, flyers, and vehicles the delegates brought; The designers of the building expected conferences of this size; they build appropriately.

At 0900, a Wednesday, the conference began. The previous two days had been a confusion of bureaucracy, as the eighty different delegate parties were registered and assigned seating and office space. Delegates from existing companies reclaimed their offices, independent groups, mainly from farming or ranching settlements, were placed in temporary quarters wherever space could be found. This confused placement of delegates has persisted; the Count's offices in Vorhartung Castle, where there seems to be no order or plan, derives directly from the ah-hoc arrangement of conference delegations.

(The Counts like the confusion, it allows them to meet in private with their fellows, using the odd placement of meeting rooms spread throughout the building to hide what they're doing. Only in the most crucial times are meeting set for room 3b12 - of which more will be said, later.)

Adrian Hartung started the conference, thanking the delegates and attendees; He laid out a proposed plan for the meeting; a few hours every morning and afternoon for formal conferences, the rest of the time open for smaller conferences to meet, allowing everyone to meet and privately discuss any matters that appeared. After two weeks, a grand convention would occur, with a defined schedule, filled with official panels to discuss and decide the matters defined in the previous informal sessions. Then, onto the hard matters - What were they to do? Try to refit one of the ship still in the system, to try and find a new wormhole - to somewhere? Concentrate on terraforming and growing the arable land to support the population? What balance should be struck?

How would the planetary government be structured? Central control, Federalized, What? Maintaining the roads and waterways - a local responsibility, or a global one?

Adrian threw out a dozen such big question to the audience; asking that any additional 'Big Questions' be registered with the Conference Committee so they could be recorded and discussion organized. The crowd had expected hours of speeches by different dignitaries; they were shocked when he suddenly called for a recess, for lunch - and the melee was on!

Adrian was stacking the deck; he'd and the Family had had a year to plan and prepare talking points and action plans; most of the delegates had their local concerns as their only thought; few had considered such wide and deep matters. Those few laid the basis for their later rise to political, economic, and military supremacy.

In the two week recess, hundreds of questions were registered with the conference organizers; as the delegates mixed and met, broadside papers and posters appeared, calling to meeting on one point or another; the city was a swishing cauldron on political maneuvering and planning. the Hartungs had stocked the city with food, liquor (both the remnants of what had been imported, and much from local suppliers - no, there's no mention of Dendari Maple Mead in the record!); they let entertainment businesses appear on their own.

In the two week recess, the delegates self-organized into multiple panels and committees; creating a focus on matters that multiple members cared about. In those committees, the questions were refined and defined for submission to the convention as a whole. Adrian had expected this to happen; he expected the delegates to organize by themselves around the problems common to everyone. He knew that problem he didn't know about would rise and be addressed; the collective intelligence of the convention was far greater and wider then his and his supporters.

After the recess, there were fifty major questions for the convention to face; the list is well known, and available in the official records; the points that became to focus of the convention became:

Do we try to find a new wormhole, to re-make contact?

Can the satellite network be re-established?

Terraforming or Space; which is more important?

Roads and Waterways; who pays? do we keep building, or only maintain?

Preserving technology - what things do we try to keep making?

These were the big five - the grand question about the survival of the Colony. 

The decisions are now known to every student on Barrayar; Yes, an effort would be made to replace and repair the satellites, the remaining jumpship would go to the Persephone station at the second gas giant to retrieve the staff there, so they can work to repair and maintain one of the stations in planetary orbit. 

No effort would be made - for now - to find new wormholes. The satellites and orbital station were more important.

For the rest, the remaining manufacturing stations would be put to making machine tools; Lathes, milling machines, shapers, scrapers, drill presses; all the tools needed for manual machining. Creating a new, low-tech manufacturing economy was critically important; as was printing and duplicating all the reference manuals and texts stored in the remaining computer stations. Creating a new industrial base became the prime goal of the Colony, paired with the production of simpler, non-computerized farming machinery. An effort was to be made to create steam engines; simple petrol engines - to power Generators and Alternators; the machine tools; to try to prevent a decent to life before the industrial revolution.

Maintaining the roads and bridges, tunnels and waterways, would be regional matters; in general everything was to be a local matter, with the Government in Novo Salamis becoming a clearing house and arbiter between groups. The planet hadn't had a real central government, as the companies charted to exploit the planet had been so isolated they had to provide their own police force; There was a universal legal code, outlawing murder, robbery, theft, fraud, and such - "Common Sense Law" as one delegate put it; the Convention affirmed that as the main code of law.

Two Universities were chartered; with a concentration on Engineering, the Sciences, Mathematics, and Medicine. The "Liberal Arts" of History, Music, Rhetoric, Philosophy, and the performing Arts were defined as the aim of local, regional colleges; to the quiet fury of some. Teacher's Colleges were encouraged; and each area was urged to maintain it's existing school systems.

A final proposal, more of a self-congratulation move by the Hartung family, was a motion to thank the family for organizing the Convention, and confirming the Families' primary place, "first among Equals" among the colonists.

The first proposition, thanking the Hartungs, passed easily; the second became controversial.

As the proposal was read; The senior Barrie made his way to the podium; to interrupt Adrian Hartung. "I've got something to show people, if I might?" Adrian, a bit confused, yielded to Josef Barrie.

On the main display, five documents were shown: 

An astronaut's logbook, for Dr. Andrew Josef Pinger, Astrophysiscist, Astrocartographer, Spaceman First class; University of Geneva.

A set of five photographs.

A page from a ship's log - the Mystic Mountain, with a few lines highlighted.

A partial genealogy; from Andrew J. Pinger to ... Josef Barrie.

Josef described each to the audience; reminding them of the history behind the discovery of the Planet. How the Mystic Mountain, commissioned by Shanghai University had ventured past Escobar; had found a new system, but had had to cut it's survey short due to a asteroid collision. The ship's log entry - that the Astrocartographer had taken photos to reveal the existence of a planet in the habitable zone - had revealed their treasure a day before the collision, so the ship couldn't explore more - silenced the audience.

The kicker was the family tree; the Hartungs had leaned hard on their relation to the Crewmember of the second survey ship; basing a claim on their primacy on that - but now!

The politics of the Colony were shattered - delegations split in to traditionalists who backed the Hartungs; others who accepted the claim the Barrie's had - a split that couldn't be ignored.....

The War had been started.


	4. The Vorhartung Volunteers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Guarding the building, not the Counts.

Vorhartung castle is, in law, owned by itself. It's not a Crown Property (which would upset the balance of power between the Counts and the Emperor); The Council is a nebulous body, so it can't 'Own' anything.

When the Hartung family departed the building; the Counts stared in a mirror, and decided that the Castle was its own property. The taxes and assessments the Hartungs' had claimed from everything on the -Northeastern bank of the Barr river were assigned to the upkeep and maintenance of the building, and the surrounding lands. The staff of the Castle remained; and began to take an oath to the Castle itself, not to the Emperor, or the Council; the Building 'was' their Count.

(The Staff of the Castle shrugged their shoulders at the announcement that they had to swear fealty to the Castle; and that the Castle somehow 'Owned' itself. A toilet that owned itself was still in need of a good scrubbing.)

The Hartungs had garrisoned the Castle and grounds; were they to be absorbed into the Imperial army, who held their allegiance? The Counts did not want the Emperor, Count Vorbarra, from getting stronger than he must - it took a few gallons of wine to suggest that those forces should, like the staff, swear to the Castle itself; so indirectly to the Council of Counts, pledged only to the defense of the Castle and it's inhabitants.

The Counts of the Council, being suspicious, surly, and untrusting of their fellow Counts, were unhappy with the limits on their own house troops; the 'First among Equals' Count Vorbarra controlled an army that could defeat any two Counts at a time; enough to maintain order; preventing serious battles between Counts and districts. The Counts intended to maintain as much independence from Count Vorbarra as they could; but they didn't want an independent Army, subject to the whims and winds of Council Politics, that could be sent against them. Tying the loyalty of the Hartung troops to the Castle itself solved the problem; It could, if needed, oppose Count Vorbarra's troops in emergencies, but couldn't travel to press on another Count's lands.

This was the status quo for the Castle, the Council of Counts, and the Vorbarra District until Emperor Dorca finally broke the independence of the Counts; forcing the Dozen Independent Counts to come to Hartung Castle to swear fealty to him and the Council of Counts. The balance of power between Count Vorbarra and the Council was upended; and the polite fiction about the 'Castles' Own Volunteers was ended.

Dorca's solution was to effectively replace the Hartung Volunteers with a Regiment of Imperial Troops; chosen from the Ground Troops of the Military, which would become the Castle's Volunteers for a period of five years. During that term, they were removed from the TOI of the Imperial Military; the Regiment swearing loyalty and fealty to the Castle, Council of Counts, and the Speaker of the Circle. 

The Regiment resides in Fort Apfel, adjacent to the Castle; and the Regiment provides the ceremonial and protective troops for the Castle, but also operates a Farm, Feed Lot, Dairy, Creamery, and Winery. The products from the agricultural facilities is dedicated to the kitchens of the Castle, and the Regimental Mess. This makes the Castle and Council independent of the Emperor, in a real way, preventing the Emperor from trying to besiege and starve a recalcitrant Council.

Every member of the Regiment is privileged to wear, once the five year term is over, a rosette signifying the service. For a Colonel to have his/her Regiment selected for this duty is the crowning achievement of their career; most retire at the end of the tour. That rosette is the only decoration that cannot be stripped from a service member who is defamed from the Military; it's awarded by the Council of Counts, not by the Emperor, and he has no power to remove it.


	5. A war of insults and splashed wine.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Words are weapons, sharper than knives; Makes you wonder how the other half dies".

The fight between the Hartungs and the Barries wasn't military, it was political; and it was fought, politely and obliquely, with words. The two sides agreed on the goals established at the convention; Survival meant the possibility of rediscovery, and rescue. At it's core was the eternal conflict between the urban and the rural; They need each other, but can't really stand the other.

The Hartungs had the initial advantage; having been the hosts and organizers of the convention. The spaceport was within their lands, as were most of the industrial base; everyone still looked at Government House for overall guidance. It took months for the Barries to develop a clear base of support for it's claim for leadership; Many settlements didn't want to lose their independence. But, the question polarized the population, The Hartungs at one pole, the Barries at the other. 

Once the convention had left Novo Salamis, the Hartungs began fortifying and expanding the Government House office complex. They suspected that, in due time, the conflict would turn violent; and sheet glass walls don't stop bullets. Also looking to the future, the prospect of the power plants failing, ending the electric power that kept the building cool or warm, became a real possibility as winter arrived. A building with fireplaces, draft ventilation, and the internal infrastructure to support such, became an excellent idea.

In the countryside, buildings designed in such manner had become standard; drawing from the cultural histories of the different ethnic groups that had arrived. As one travels across Barrayar, the Castles and manors for the small and great Houses reflect the national origins of the population - Germanic turreted Castles, Anglo-Saxon Mansions, French Chateaus; Russian Fortresses with onion domes and high, thick walls.

The Hartung and Barrie families maintained cold, but cordial relations; their allies defined the political battle. Mostly, it was spiteful conversation raised to an art form, at the parties and meeting held after the end of the Convention; The conflict slowly spread into regular business. Deliveries were delayed, shipments were incomplete. When a decision was made, now which side the parties were on influenced the choice. It was a was of a thousand paper cuts; with both sides gaining scars and memories - tinder to start a later war.

The effort to replace the satellites was successful, the damaged satellites were retrieved, and spares were placed. The weather reporting network for the planet had huge gaps; with the population spread across the single continent; weather events forming over the oceans were unknown, except for the surveillance of the satellites and the Orbiting Platform. Two years after the Year of Fire a massive storm had landed on the Southeast coast, a massive hurricane that almost washed two settlements into the sea. The storms that spread from the landfall wreaked massive damage on inland communities; the snowfall in the mountainous areas isolated many communities for months. They survived only due to emergency airlifts of supplies from the overworked remaining aircraft and helicopters. 

The effort to restore weather surveillance payed off two years later - a major hurricane sequence was seen to form and sweep its way across the Great Eastern Ocean, aimed directly at Novo Salamis. The warning allowed the Colonists to prepare - evacuating the remaining aircraft, moving the orbital shuttles to other bases, reinforcing buildings, and shifting stockpiles. When the storms hit; the Colonists on the Central and Northeast sectors of the coast survived, and aid reached them efficiently. 

The Storms had done their damage; the Transmission yard at the main power plant had been severely damaged, multiple lightning strikes had damaged the transformers and switching gear, and some damage had been done to the generators. The Pile itself was undamaged, but the steam it produced couldn't be turned into electricity, and what could be produced couldn't get to the city. without electricity, the machining centers wouldn't run, and the furnaces and casting mills were stilled.

The re-industrialization process has centered on the industrial sites clustered around Novo Salamis; they were to produce the tools and machines that would be spread across to the other settlements, to reduce the dependency of the colonists on Novo Salamis. Mother Nature had wrecked that plan; Now what to do?

The Five most powerful families (as the Companies had devolved into the families that had been the management staff) met in emergency session; not at Novo Salamis, but in Wayside City, the home of the Barrie Family. They decided that the molds and frames for the castings were undamaged, they would be moved to the surviving foundries and factories, moving the focus of the re-industrialization away from Novo Salamis. The factories there would be moved, if feasible, to cities that had power to spare, and a new spaceport would be built as an alternative to the one at Novo Salamis. 

The Hartungs took this loss of political capitol gracefully; They'd still be in control of the largest market center on the continent, with the rivers from the main continental spine all flowing into a watershed that passed by Novo Salamis. It was still the largest city on the Planet; but everyone knew it was a large basket with too many eggs - if Novo Salamis fell, so would the Colony.

One controversial decision made at this emergency meeting was a proposal by the Darien family, representing the Farming interests. Farming, without heavy machinery, especially large tractors, was labor intensive. The factories were still retooling to develop engines that could power the plows, planters, harvesters and other needed farming implements; human and animal power was replacing those machine, slowing the terraforming and farming and ranching efforts. They pointed out that the population of the Colony was spread over too large of an area; sufficient if they had the farming machines that would do the main work, but now spread to thin until (it was hoped!) replacement engines were available to support mechanized farming. 

The solution was to force a concentration of population; several area would be depopulated, the people moving into other areas to supplement the existing population. The terraforming effort would be concentrated in a smaller space; making it faster, the extra labor increasing crop yields. the mathematics of the proposal was impeccable. The politics was abysmal. 

The Darien Family, and their supporters, were gathered on the northwestern side of the Eastern Mountain chain, north of the mountain spur that divided most of the continent. 

[A brief note to readers who aren't familiar with he geography of Barrayar. Examine the map I've added as chapter 16; it's not Canon-compliant, but it supports this text. It's not really to scale; assume it's North America at 150% size. the only real measurement we have from herself is a description of the Vorkosigan district. "Not that the Vorkosigan's District was a square, exactly, more of a squashed, irregular parallelogram, some 350 kilometers from the northern strip of lowlands to the southern mountain passes, and about 500 kilometers east-to-west, skirting the mountain chain along its highest ranges. Only about the northern fifth was flat fertile plains, and of that, of course, only half was usable… It’s landlocked away from any chance at the coastal trade. It’s always been agricultural, as much so as the mountains permit." - Miles thinking about the District.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had to explain my conception of the Geography of Barrayar. 
> 
> Expand North America (The USA and Canada) by 50%. The Appalachian mountain chain stays, the Sierra Nevadas grow. The Rockies spin 90 degrees and spear into the Appalachians, about where Pittsburgh is. 
> 
> Take Lake Erie, spin it north and south, place it just south of Philadelphia. Philadelphia gets put on highlands, split by Niagara falls, that's where Vorbarr Sultana is. A river complex drawing from the northern frontal range feeds that river; a very long Hudson river valley. 
> 
> The Vorkosigan district is roughly equal to Kentucky and Tennessee combined, with the mountains MUCH higher in the eastern reaches. 
> 
> There is a peninsula reaching from (roughly) where San Diego is across a shallow sea to the southern Continent, it sputters out into a archipelago of islands to link to the Southern continent. 
> 
> There are islands scattered on both coasts, as plots require.
> 
> The Southern coast has numerous points and bays; a riviera coast writ large and long.There is a long series of coastal islands protecting the coast; it was simple to create a terran hydrology in those long bays, creating a fishing industry. the terran ecosystem is spreading in to the ocean between the two continents; it may be possible to establish a deep water fishing industry in the (far) foreseeable future. 
> 
> Kyrill Island crosses the mouth of Hudson's bay, if you're interested (It's called Hudson's bay; the survey team looked at it, and uniformly declared it was "Hudson's Bay", in honor of it's similarity to the original). 
> 
> There are several sub continents, about the size of Australia, elsewhere on the globe; there are small research stations on them, but not much else.


	6. Room Assignments - and 5 Marks to Ceta, every year.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's a BIG building, finding your way around can be a... trip.

Excluding the staff offices and workrooms, Vorhartung Castle hosts three different groups. The first are the Counts; each Count has an office (somewhere) in the building. Each Count's office is the same size as all others, so no favoritism is shown to anyone. 

When a Count dies, his office is emptied, made bare and plain, ready to accept a new Count's presence. The new Count gets a different office from his/her predecessor; A family can shift from the third floor to the first floor, from the Northeastern corner to the South Central side, when the new assignment is made. There are sixty Counts, and seventy offices sized for a Count, to keep things mixed. The only Count's office that doesn't move is the Vorbarra suite; immediately adjacent to the Council chamber. 

The Ministries are officially led from offices in the Castle; they shift placement with every change of Minister. Again, there are a dozen more offices suitable for Ministers/Ministries than there are officeholders.

The General Staff (Flag Rank Officers) have offices as well, smaller than the Ministers, (This does not count the Militarys' Ministerial office). As Four Star Officers come and go, so do their offices. A common test for a new Lieutenant or Ensign is to map out where every Generals'/Admirals' office is in the building, along with the nearest washroom, dining space, and ice machine. Points are given based on how fast the map is made; then they get to learn all about classifying critical documents.... a learning experience in it own right.

The Emperor has an office; it's the smallest workspace in the building. It holds a standard issue desk, chair, book case, filing cabinet, and coat stand. It's a shabby room; intentionally shabby. 

The only time the Emperor uses the room is at State Openings and Closings of the Council. A delegation of Counts proceeds through the Castle, 'seeking' the room, finally finding it after they visit every floor. The junior member of the delegation ceremonially says "Well, we haven't lost him, have we?" when the room is found. The Emperor is presented with a request he convene or dismiss the Council; he signs the document in that room, then the delegation escorts him to the Council Chamber to start/end the session.

Emperor Ezar, when he was confined to his bed, played jokes of the Delegation; one time they found an Ensign seemingly playing strip poker with a 'Lady'; the game hadn't progressed to far, she was wearing the Ensign's cap.

Another time, they found a tray with fifteen servings of chocolate pudding, a pitcher of fruit juice, some savory biscuits, and a stack of plastic cups. As they were deciding what to do, a Captain and a troop of Barrayaran Girl Scouts came round a corner; the Captain announcing that refreshments awaited the Troop in a special place.... The Counts retreated in confusion. 

[Lady Mary Vorhovis was one of the girls in the troop, she happily describes the scene to anyone who'll listen.]

The Auditors don't have offices in the Castle, they are responsible to the Emperor, not the Council, so they don't get offices. There is an Auditor's Lounge, where they can wait if called to testify to a Council committee.

Scattered around the building are many meeting rooms, large, small, high security, and open plan cafes. A Count can reserve a meeting room by requesting it from the Speaker of the Circle; any room but 3B12.

3B12 is the (in)famous room that doesn't exist. If two Counts who are a strongly at odd _have_ to meet, one will send a message to the other (usually thru the Armsman's grapevine) asking to meet in 3B12. (The Armsmen work out what room to use, and arrange catering and supplies). Then, the Counts are directed to the room by their Armsmen; very privately; totally deniability. The meeting is held, wounds bandaged, and bloodstains cleaned when it's over.

The building is a maze - purposely. As a security matter - making it hard for assassins to find the target, and as a political necessity. The office assignments are by random draw; so the best offices aren't dominated by one family for decades; The constant mixing of Counts, Ministers and Military Officers allows for a free flow of politicking, deal making, and skullduggery.

A Count who also holds a Ministerial position or Senior military rank (such as General the Count Piotr Pierre Vorkosigan) is due two offices, one as a Count, one for his Ministerial or Military position. The most extreme case was Regent the Admiral the Count Aral Vorkosigan; who had offices from his position as Regent, Admiral, and (finally) Count. His wife, Lady/Countess Cordelia Vorkosigan, decorated each suite in a different style, appropriate for the role Aral represented. 

This duplication of offices was politically valuable; a Count who was feuding with another Count, who held a Senior Military Rank, or Ministerial post, could be safely met in the alternate office; or the Minister could visit the other Count's office in their official guise, allowing needed conferences to happen, at no political cost. Official business had to flow; the Counts were headstrong and proud, but practical.

The doors of the suites weren't permanently marked; one emergency drill was for the staff to immediately remove all the name placards and directional marker boards, to make the place even more of a maze. The only rooms that are permanently marked were washrooms, dining area, and maintenance closets.

(During the Regency, someone replaced all the door markers with placards for Washrooms.... No person(s) were ever blamed, but the chief housekeeper did have a long chat in room 3B12 with a four children who seemed to be related to Regent Vorkosigan.)

The Cetagandan Invasion (Infestation, in the pithy words of several Counts) resulted in a massive alteration to the Castle. They occupied the Castle, examined it, and promptly gutted it. They rebuilt the interior, including replacing the plumbing and drains. This was badly needed, as some the the drain stacks dated to before the TOI. 

The Council of Counts sends the Emperor of Cetaganda a five mark piece and a letter of thanks every year for upgrading the Castle with modern plumbing; it's said Giaja tosses the coin into a jar on his desk, and passes them out as rewards to Officers and Bureaucrats that please him.... This has not been confirmed or denied by Impsec, the Ambassador, or other diplomatic staff (including Auditor Lord Vorkosigan).

There are several kitchens, commissaries, medical offices, a post office, security strong room, and casual rooms spread around for the use of the staff. There is little separation between the Castle staff and the Counts; ordered long ago to keep the Counts aware of the political pulse of the Nation. It's normal for a Count to stand in line with a tray selecting his lunch, flanked by a random mix of Castle staff - and seating is unreserved, unless a request is made the the Speaker of the Circle. This egalitarianism is purposed; when the Emperor is in the building, he habitually (as Count Vorbarra) takes a tray and stands in line to collect his lunch (Impsec escorts him, as does the Vorhartung Volunteers, quietly and politely). Visitors and Tourists are separated from the staff facilities; as a matter of security. Barrayaran beers, wines and Spirits are available (proof of age required.)

Dining in the Castle is a popular way to end a vacation trip to Vorbarr Sultana; the Gift Shop is conveniently located next to the Visitor's lounge (Hours 0800 - 2200, All major credit cards accepted, Cash Point available, Major foreign currencies accepted at market rates). Tours are available, contact the Vorbarr Sultana Tourist board or ask at your hotel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A thanks to miss_lanyon for her fantastic work [ A Charity Case](https://archiveofourown.org/works/295981)!
> 
> I had to include a mention of the Gift Shop SOMEWHERE in this work!


	7. Things get worse before... They get worser.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Off the grill and into the fire.

By Colony Year 50, The satellites and the sole orbiting platform were in orbit and operational, able to provide weather reports, for the planet and the Sun. The initial solar flare than had done so much damage made the colonists careful; shelters were dug, and plans made in case another flare swatted the planet.

An assumption was that the flares would be seen at least 100 hours before they'd reach the plane's orbit; sufficient time to safe everything and be prepared.

The next flare that might have hit veered off, looping back to hit the sun; the solar observers took their fingers off the alarm buttons; saved again!

Except that the next day a series of flares erupted, each ejecting a huge mass of plasma; aimed to hit the planet in successive waves. 

Some Stellar God didn't like the colony, apparently.

The stellar ejections were moving fast - the first hit the planet seventy hours after it was spotted. The emergency plans were not complete; the sky filled with auroras that equaled the light of the sun.

Things got worse. The successive flares slowly pushed the magnetosphere down into the atmosphere - fortunately above the Ocean on the opposite side of the planet - causing massive inductive pulses. When the flares ended, the magnetosphere snapped back, creating an even greater inductive snap - one that melted fence wire, electric power lines; people with metal implants cried in pain as the pulse turned the implants red hot. Anything metal softened; bridge beams twisted. 

Then came storms; months of deluge as the water that had been boiled off the oceans condensed. Floods carved new canyons into the land, farmland was erased.

If it's not one thing, it's another. 

Twenty percent of the population died; including everyone on the sole orbital platform, all the satellites, most of the shuttles (One was found operable, as it had been moved into a cavern early); all but ten of the helicopters and aircraft. 

The Colony had been trying so hard to maintain an industrial base - lost it all.


	8. Archive of Memory

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Castle has an important Museum and Library.

Vorhartung Castle was originally a Business center; intended to hold the main headquarters of the Colonization Companies. As time passed, it changed into the home and residence of the primary family of the Colony, the Hartungs; then into the home of the Council of Counts. Many historic events happened in its walls; Documents, artifacts, and memorials accumulated.

Originally, the Northeastern entry lobby held a variety of curios and objects, gathered by different companies - their first ingot of steel, the first bushel of wheat - items like that. As the political structure of the Colony changed, and the Hartungs became the premier family, the space turned into a gallery displaying their treasures. They kept an archive in one of the lower vaults; gathering the corporate records of the initial companies as they effectively changed from chartered companies into family enterprises. Official notices from the Hartungs were posted for viewing in a set of boards just outside the lobby; the originals went into the archives.

As items accumulated, a curator was appointed in colony year 35; to inventory, selects, preserve, and archive the collected items. Mr. Edwin Farrier Rybakov was the initial archivist; he organized the collection, selected what items would be on display, and acted as the chief librarian for the Hartungs. 

He managed, in the midst of the confusion and chaos of the years of fire to maintain contact with all the major families across the continent; besieging them with letters imploring them to preserve and protect their records and important items; he believed that a broken machine was still valuable by nature of its construction - valuable as a teaching aide to engineers and researchers who would be trying to duplicate the functionality of the machine.

If two families came to a serious agreement; Rybakov asked for a copy of the document; even if the families were at odds with the Hartungs; he often pledged that the letters would be sealed, left unseen for fifty years or more; protected from the Hartung's inquiries, just to maintain a library of the colonies history (He was successful most of the time; in one case he threatened to drop a file containing secret agreements between the Barrie Family and the Patrie Family into a shredder if Amos Hartung tried to seize it; Amos backed down).

His two successors continued his work; the Archives became critical as they held the original survey maps of the continent; working with the Department of Geologic Survey (a section of the original Colonization company); they maintained and updated the plats and survey maps for the colony. As the original land grants morphed into the district boundaries we know now, The Archivist kept the master records of where boundaries were. The succeeding Archivists maintained a measure of political independence from the Hartungs, and later the Barra families; when the Council of Counts formed, it took responsibility for the Archive and Library in the Castle. 

Now the Museum is expanding into a new annex, a three story purpose built facility adjacent to the Castle, in the North East corner. The display area of the original museum had expanded to fill most of the Northeastern corner of the Castle; this expansion doubles the space dedicated to the Museum, the library, and it's staff. The display area is greatly increased; and semi-permanent exhibits are being curated to give wider and deeper views of many important historical events. 

The recently acquired 'VorAlys' carpet will be on display here; in a gallery devoted to the tapestries and textiles of Barrayar (Once it's conservation is completed). Items from the Cetagandan treasure cache found at Ladderbeck Close will be on display here, and at the Museum at the Residency. Catalogs are available in the Castle gift shop and at all major bookseller throughout the Capital.

Items rotate between the Residency Museum and the Vorhartung Museum on a regular basis; the Imperial Archive Service is responsible for all the items in both collections, excepting some very select items that are the specific property of the Council, or different Vor Families. 

Operating hours are 0800 - 2200, every day except during the official opening and closing of the Council of Counts. Admission is 5 marks for adults, 3 for children under the age of 16; Military veterans and serving officers admitted free. Parking is available outside the Castle perimeter; space is limited (a better option for Tourists is to contact the guest services desk at your hotel to arrange transportation). A shuttle runs constantly around the city linking the Residency, Vorhartung Castle, and other important locations.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "The Rug" Courtesy of Rose_Milburn - https://archiveofourown.org/works/14303994/chapters/34994057
> 
> The Ladderbeck Close Cache - Tip of the hat to Herself.


	9. The long climb up...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Politics is People, People are Population, Population is where they live, Where they live is Geography."
> 
> \- Professor Mindy Emery, PhD. (Geopolitics), Stephen F. Austin University, Texas, Terra 2305

At the end of Colony Year 50, everything was a mess. The combination of the solar flares and the violent storms had wrecked so many parts of the Colony; the population loss was especially grievous. Survival became paramount; the dead don't have problems, the living do.

The Fifty Thousand Firsters, and the Twenty Thousand Builders, were a strange assortment of old-earth cultures. The Builders were from every region of Terra, with a heavy sprinkling from Beta Colony, Escobar (Especially in the Aerospace industries), Illerica, and Mars. The Firsters were a collection of more cohesive groups, mainly from the European continent from the Atlantic Ocean to the Ural Mountains. The population broadly split into :

12,000 Uk/English (Including Canadians, Australians, and USA)  
11,500 French (split between Metropolitan France and the Overseas Departments)  
8,000 German/Scandinavians  
8,500 Greek/Mediterranean/Anatolian Plateau/Armenian/Georgian  
12,000 Russian/Balkans  
1,200 "Other" groups.

The largest contingent in the "Other" category were 850 Maori from New Zealand. When they heard that there were several places on the new planet that imitated the climate and geography of New Zealand, they volunteered to go. On arrival, they chose a large island chain off the Northwestern side of the Continent; they happily decamped to their new dominion, and set to work terraforming the island chain. In the subsequent years, their presence was forgotten; until on the rediscovery of Barrayar. The survey ship noted the presence of humans on the Islands; when Dorca was told about them he said "Huh?". Contact was re-established soon; and the Maori are recognized by the Council of Counts as an independent population and Government; Masters of their Islands and the coastal ranges adjacent. They are represented in the Council of Ministers by a Minister for Maori Affairs, and in the Council of Counts with a non-voting delegate. It's agreed that, when representatives from Komarr or Sergyar are added to the Council, a Maori Delegate will precede them.

There were very few from the African continent, and most of the Asian emigres from Terra were heading to the Eta Ceta Colonization effort. The largest component of the Builders were Japanese, Korean, and Sub-continent Indian. In the centuries of the Time of Isolation, those few representatives merged and disappeared into the mainly European population. 

The sub-group that has had the social and political effect out of magnitude for it's size are the Armenian/Georgians. They settled on the western end of the Dendarii mountains; in land similar to what they knew in the Caucasus. The land was (relatively) easy to terraform; as it was mainly grassland already; Plow, infect the soil with terran biome, wait a year, then plant terran crops. They didn't need much industrial support; and they were largely self-governing. Once Terran crops were established, they added horses, goats, sheep, and a variety of smaller wildlife to their lands. Sooner than most, they were self-sufficient and breaking new land yearly. The cultural norm was for large families; limited mainly by the land available for a new family. This limit was removed on this new planet.

The Western Europeans clustered on the eastern seaboard and the southern coast and plains; the Russian/Balkans in the mountain chains and the Northern inland plains. The German/Scandinavians occupied the central plains and eastern ranges of the Western mountains. Scattered around were the mining and quarry operations; the towns that supported those were a mix of everything, culturewise. As a general rule; if an area matched where a group came from, that's where they settled.

In the years immediately after the second burning; the Armenian/Georgians became the most self-organized group on the continent (second only to the Balkan groups, but they organized into raiding clans and did little but cause trouble). The Armenian leader, Arax Anoush Bagrat, saw an opportunity to expand - and he did. His people were natural horsemen; and swept across the open plains to raid - and claim - the holdings of their neighbors. Falling back on legends (and his education in economics and politics), Arax claimed the lands, but confirmed one local family as ruler in his stead. Soon, he could claim to be ruler of most of the Central plains, and significant stretches of the north and south coastal plains. His 'rule' was mostly in name only; but he organized a system of tax assessors and collectors to maintain a hold on the populations.

=================

Let's skip ahead eighty years; The Bagrat Khanate was in it's third generation; the Khan was Varauder Tashen Bagrat; called 'Varauder Tau' from a large birthmark on his face in the shape of a "T". During his reign the tax assessors became very fierce; poking their noses into everything to raise revenues for the Khan. Varauder sent more cavalry with a tax collector than may have been needed, but revenues collected increased significantly.

The Tax collectors were officially 'Auditors'; the resident representatives were 'Accountants'; sent by the Khan to 'Give Guidance' to the settlers - mainly in how much tax they owed. The resident Accountants were marrying into the local populations; creating a conflict of interest that the Khan intended to end with the Auditors. By the end of Khan Varauder's reign, most of the Accountants had changed for being the Khan's men to being the local's 'Counts'. The major families before the Khanate had arranged marriages, reinforcing their historic leadership roles; they stayed on top.

Skip forward forty years (Colony Year 185), and a new Khan was being elevated; all the 'Accountants' were present, as were many of the allies and friendly neighbors to the Khanate, to pay tribute to the New ruler. Speeches were made, wine was drunk; sheep, cattle, horses were roasted - a grand celebration.

The Barrie family was there, as were the Kosygans, Hallur, Innis, and Muirs; all present to pay tribute to the new Khan - and discuss matters at hand.

There had been a rise in bandit activity at the edges of the Khanate; bandits and thieves who raided into the Khan's lands; taking livestock, crops, metal ingots from the two mines in the Khanate. The previous Khan had sent troops to sweep the foothills and forests; finding nothing. They didn't intrude of the land of the Khan's allies; always finding the tracks they followed ended uselessly. This embarrassed the Khan and his family; a Khan who couldn't protect his land was no Khan - and the new Khan intended to tell his allies that his forces would begin search in their borderlands to find and end this bandit problem. The Raiders were called 'VOR' - meaning thief - and the new Khan intended to end this depredation and thievery.

On the last day of the crowning, the New Khan in his glorious robes accepting the fealty of his Accountants and Housemen; hugging and kissing his allies; showing the world his importance. The last ally was Xavier Barrie; General Manager of the Barrie Brother's Division. 

He strode to the dais; in his Managerial Tunic and Kilt; every eye on him as his pledge of friendship would end the celebration. He bowed over the Khan's hand, hugged and kissed his cheek - and with his arms holding them tightly together; he drew his official letter opener from his pocket and cut the new Khan's throat. 

At that, Xavier's men started slaughtering the available Bagrat men; the Kosygan, Hallur and Muir families all pitched in to kill every Bagrat man and all their related families. The slaughter lasted for hours; the field was filled with the dead on all sides. The Bagrat women were segregated; protected and kept safe; but every male decendant of Arax Anoush Bagrat was killed, even babies one month old.

When the slaughter was over; The house leaders gathered to 'celebrate' their victory; Xavier made a speech:

"Friends! Our lamented host planned to strike and destroy those Vor thieves; stealing from us our lands and sovereignty! But we struck first - stealing our lands back from those thieves - Is it not right and just to steal from a thief?"

"He wanted to find thieves; well - here we are!" (General laughter) "He called them Vor; well, lets take the name he gave us - and wear it proudly! Let us be the honest thieves who Take to Give, Steal to Share; and know when to run!! Vor we are - Vor we remain!"

(a chant started, the crowd started shouting Xavier's name) - "Vor - Barry - vor-Barry - Vor Barra!"

=====================

The heads of the Families met privately to discuss what the treachery meant; No one really trusted anyone else; Konstantin Kosygan was slowly accepted as a moderator for the meeting; he proposed that each Family return to their holding, and respect and be respected in their lands. He explained that Xavier, Karl Innis, and Joshua Muir had feared that the new Khan, Dymitri, would use the anti-thief raids as an excuse to invade and conquer, adding their land to the Khanate; better to stop the invasion now, before it began. The four or them had no interest in claiming the Khanate; a mutual council of the House Heads, similar to the original Corporate Council, was their aim.

The sole representative from the Hartungs' had sat quietly thru the meeting, he offered to propose to the Hartungs' that a new Grand Conference be called, for every House and Holding to meet in Novo Salamis, as had happened before the Fire. This impromptu meeting heard the offer; and the attendees seemed positive to the offer. The old suspicions about the Hartungs were recalled; but they were a common semi-enemy; and so a neutral party.

The 'Celebration' dissolved; everyone had to react and plan for the new political reality. Most were surprised that the Barries - now the Vorbarras - hadn't taken the Khan's place; there had to be a trick in this 'independence' they proposed. 

The remaining families of the Khanate went their way; off to the rolling hills and pastures of their homeland. They gathered what they could of the riches and spoils collected to honor the Khan; took the womenfolk into their families; and silently swore never to trust a Vorbarra , Vorkosygan, or Vorhallur until the days ended.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If any chapter staggers away from Herself's Canon, this is it. I don't intend to stomp on toes, sorry if it happened.
> 
> [With all the colonists from Northern Europe, howcome there are so many Turkish/Arabic loan words in place names? I stuck a finger in the air - and pulled an answer outa somewhere!]


	10. We interrupt  your reading pleasure.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I break the forth wall, and damage the fifth.
> 
> (It's history, did you think Impsec wouldn't be interested?)

Memorandum to Case Officer Tekton.  
From Junior Analyst Milburn

SIR:

This was brought to my attention by Professora Helen Vorthys; she was reviewing a draft of a paper being prepared by several post-graduate students at VBSU. They have a joint project to create a new visitor's booklet for the Vorhartung Castle; at the request of the museum curator.

He allowed them access to the Castle archives, including the reserved archives. Several new documents had been released from the unreviewed archives, documents placed in storage with instructions from the Archivist at the time to hold the documents until certain events occurred. This is not unusual as the fifty year rule is still in effect for most new donations. 

The two documents they consulted are personal diaries of the wives of early Counts; they attended Dymitri's Coronation festival, and participated in a Women's colloquium. The ending of Dymitri's rule before it began is usually considered the most important event, followed by Xavier Barrie renaming himself and his family 'Vorbarra'; the Women's colloquium is usually ignored.

The diaries they found and translated (as they are in classical Greek and French, not the modern variants used now) report on the subjects discussed by the important women of the time. The wives and daughters of the House Leaders are important advisors to their Male relatives; true then and now [anyone who ignores Lady Alys's influence on Emperor Gregor will fail in their analysis of Imperial policy!].

The documents they found have the earliest known reference to the practice of infanticide. The women of the time did much of the economic analysis and planning for their families, and a major subject of the colloquium was the viability of the Colony; they were in a Malthusian trap. The population was growing faster than new land could be terraformed. Additionally, the miscarriage, stillborn, and mutation/malformation rate was very high.

At the meeting, several women admitted (therapeutically confessed?), in the privacy of the meeting, to have killed both their own infants, or others, at the time of birth when it was obvious to the midwife and attending women that the baby was medically infirm. This was a critical admission of a terrible crime; from the records the other women supported the confessees in their grief. 

The colloquium agreed that such infirm infants were best 'cut' immediately; to reduce the burden on the community. These diaries indicate that the practice of infanticide had approval from the highest levels of Society; making this official Government Policy.

Professora Vorthys recognized the political ramifications; she immediately contacted her husband, Auditor Georg Vorthys, so he could put the document under seal, and she detained the graduate students and advisors involved for debriefing.

The Impsec branch at the University was simultaneously notified; they came at the Auditors' request to take custody of the research material and the draft copies.

Auditor Vorthys decided that only the material pertaining to the record of the colloquium need be classified; the original documents were returned to the Castle Archivist with instructions to place them in restricted circulation. Professora Vorthys and the Chair of the Department requested that the diaries remain accessible to researchers, but only to those who are properly secured and briefed.

The students and advisors have been instructed that the entire matter was under Imperial seal, and personal oaths taken.

It looks like we dodged a bullet here.

Yours;

Reginald Milburn

Junior Analyst.

(with attachments)

==================

From: Case Officer Anton Tekton  
To: Domestic Affairs Chief General Dominic Frasier

General:

As my subordinate puts it, we've just missed a bullet (See attached for details).

A group of Graduate Students were writing a new pamphlet for the Archivist at Vorhartung Castle, and stumbled onto a previously unknown set of documents that directly mentioned infanticide. They included a mention of this in their text; fortunately Professora Helen Vorthys and her husband, Auditor Vorthys and the Department Chair stomped on this -FAST-.

The Graduate Students have been cautioned; the troublesome chapter is under Auditors seal. The original document they used have been placed back in the Castle archives with proper restrictions. Professora Vorthys asked that the documents remain available to researchers, as they are one of a kind and special; the Archivist tells me that they are in the restricted section with an appropriate classification. 

The students have been sworn, they know if this leaks they won't be able to get a job making brillberry shakes in Bonsankler.

VBS University section has been cautioned to notice any activity on this subject.

Hope your youngest has finished teething; mine haven't!

Anton Tekton, Senior Analyst.

=====================

Helen:

Impsec has just passed me the brief on your recent encounter with a horror from the past. I wanted to thank you, and your husband, for your quick work on this. I can't fault the Grad Students; they found an important source, and were undoubtedly ready for academic fame. 

Their text needs a good copy editing; and a firm eye needs to be aimed at them when they get to Gregor Vorbarra facing down Miles Hartung about ending the siege of Vorbarr Sultana. If the official story was good enough for Captain Vortalon (Season five, episode 8), it's good enough for anybody. 

I'm sending a box of cookies to you and Georg as a thanks; don't let him eat them all in his basement hideout! You're due some as well!

Yours;

G

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had been anticipating trouble with this chapter, given the subject, when it struck me that the Advisors overseeing this effort would go ballistic when the unknown history got revealed. So I brought in the Professora, and her husband; the problem went away....
> 
> I knew this would hit Gregor's desk; he'd send a thank you to Helen; it gave a great opportunity to add a mention of Captain Vortalon (or should it be Vorthalia the Bold?)


	11. The Senior Advisor Strikes Back.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (Well, Professora Vorthys...)

To:  
Michael Vortanner  
Simone Vordumon  
Denise Mallow  
Olya Kyrilya

Subject: The new Tourist Guide for Vorharhung Castle

Learning to write for a specific audience is a difficult skill to learn; when I was completing my first book my editor had me chop so many words and paragraphs from the text I thought I wouldn't have anything left in the book.

Her goal was to remove all the parts that confused or diverted the reader from the main ideas of my work, something that I recognized when I read the book in final form. What she had me remove bloated the book, taking the reader into the mist, away from the path I had been creating.

The document you're creating will be part of the face of Barrayar, examined and read by people across the Nexus for decades to come. Copies will go into National Libraries and Archives on every planet and Station; researchers at every University and School (primary and secondary) will read the text and examine the illustrations. 

Since you've just had a contact with Barrayaran Security, some of your readers will be Analysts in every Security and Intelligence organization in existence! Remember them and have mercy - soon you might be doing the same with THEIR new tourist brochures! 

So, some points:

1 - Read and copyedit your work! Fix the awkward grammar, capitalize sentences properly, remove irrelevant adjectives and adverbs. The tighter the text, the easier it is to read.

2 - This work will be translated into all the major languages on Barrayar, and many others. Editions will be produced in Cetagandan Chinese, Escobaran Portuguese, Larouban Arabic, Terran German, Texan Czech. The clearer the text, the easier the translation. Clever phrases in French or Russian may not work in English or Greek, or vice versa, so avoid them! The translator isn't intended to become a secondary author as they work.

3 - The final work will have many illustrations; begin to select a library of images that support the work. The more available, the easier the selection process will be.

The chapter that was removed is at the midpoint of the work, a good place to have a few pages of photographs and graphics.

4 - The book will need maps, showing and supporting the points of the text. You need to find someone to create these, it's a skill that is more involved than you know. The grad students in the school of graphic design and arts need work too!

The maps need to be similar across the book, to keep the readers attention. The scale should be such that the reader isn't distracted by the need to reference other illustrations to know how to interpret the map details.

5 - Make several mockups of the work now, using different fonts and type sizes. This affects the flow of the text, the pagination, the placement of the text. The staff at the school of design can be of help.

6 - This will be read by six year olds, and retired professors. Try to satisfy both... good luck!

7 - This is a political work, consider carefully what you put in - and exclude. This is no place to vent old family grudges, or reveal controversial facts. Personal references, or side comments are unneeded, no matter how pleasing they are. There will be an annotated version that you'll produce, used be the tour guides and docents at the Museum; they can use those tidbits to flavor their tour talks - but the main copy doesn't need them.

8 - Remove the references to opening lines, prices, and such temporal matters. Prices and operating hours change, such are better collected on a sheet the Museum can add to each copy. References to the Gift Shop, Restaurant, or other facilities should not be in the main body of the text, best to gather them into the introduction or closing. Descriptions of the galleries should be in a section separate from the historical text.

9 - There will be several version of this produced, a docents edition, a very fancy presentation edition, a teacher's edition - all rooted in this main text. You'll need all your references to prepare those extra editions. Write big, edit to fit, so you don't have to create new text at the last moment! [Ask me how I know this]

The things you found in those diaries will be released in time, and you'll get credit for the discovery. This isn't the end of this subject, but it must be treated with care, based on political sensitivities. I've run against these limits many times; many times all that's needed is for the people who will be affected to be privately informed, so they aren't blindsided and disadvantaged. The history most know is simplified and sanitized; you've discovered in your studies that the real story is weird and winding, one of our duties is to remove the tangles and map the snarls. 

Please have a refreshed copy by Monday next, with a selection of images ready by Wednesday next.

Thank you,

Professor Helen Vorthys  
Vorbarr Sultana University Department of History.


	12. In Vor we trust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What are the Vor, and how are they organized?

Simone:

This should be a good sidebar piece, maybe split across two pages with some graphics. Comments?

================

 **Vor** is more than an archaic title, it's a living sign of the responsibility and duties owed between people on Barrayar.

There are four social divisions amongst the Vor, the highest level is held by the Vorbarra family, as Emperor and Owner of the Planet, the Family is preeminent over all. In the Council of Counts they are first among equals, First to speak, but not first to vote.

Next are the 'High Vor', the second unofficial social division. The High Vor are the twelve families that have a close blood relationships to the Vorbarras, or are historic allies. Collectively, they are the equal to the Vorbarras; if these families frown, the Vorbarras stop smiling. The Hartung family is included in this group, for historic reasons.

Next are the 'District' Vor, comprising the Counts and Demi-Counts. The Counts own and administer the districts of Barrayar; They are the predominate landowners of the District, and are owed the loyalty and faith of the people of the district. In return, the Counts owe the residents a duty to govern and administer the District in a fair and honest fashion. The Counts are the highest Legal Official in the district, the Judges and Civic authorities are chartered by them.

The Demi-Counts are five families on the western coast, who were isolated from most of Barrayar during the Time of Isolation, due to the width of the Continent. Three of the families are clustered around the Great Circle Bay, the other two families are the leading clans of the Maori Colony on the Northwest coastal islands. They have non-voting delegates in the Council of Counts; its expected they will become full members soon.

The remaining Vor are the fourth, and largest, group; they are the non-District Vor. Most are businessmen, or minor landowners; of regional importance. Many are the professional class of their district, the Lawyers, Doctors, Engineers or Senior Civil Servants. Their families have the resources to send their children to College or University, to continue the family trade. 

An unofficial group are the 'Double Twenty Year Men', people who completed a full forty years in the military, or civil service. Socially, they are regarded as being equal to the Vor, making marriage across the social lines permissible. A senior Sargent, with his Forty years done, might be only 57, with daughters and sons ready for marriage. A decorated soldier of fifteen years would be a fine catch for the daughter of any Vor (on the assumption he'll finish his twenty).

This allows a constant mixing of the social classes; a terraforming Landman (who is a civil servant) has a possibility of marrying the daughter of a Count!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I conceive that most of the political activity happened on the East and Center of the Continent, so any colonial groups on the western coast were ignored or forgotten. When Barrayar was rediscovered, Dorca got a big surprise when he was told about the West coast settlements - and quickly sent envoys to introduce them to his Empire. They negotiated a presence in the Council of Counts, with a Gentleman's agreement that they could do their own thing, until the Council was willing to include them as full members. The West Coast is still isolated from the East Coast, economically and socially; so the Gentleman's agreement stays. This set the pattern of how the Council of Counts deals with Komarr and Sergyar; They allow the emperor to 'Manage' these places, and they advise him. 
> 
> The West Coast was similar to California; Two large valleys easily terrafomed, a set of large lakes fed by the valleys that were easy to terraform; and plenty of minerals available in the Mountains. The Companies chartered to exploit the coast morphed into Family enterprises; similar to what happened on the East coast. There was only one road thru the Western mountain chain; often made impassable by snowfalls or landslides. Dorca had to ask the Discovery ship's Captain for help in sending his envoys to the West coast; the road thru the mountains being blocked. 
> 
> This is all NON-CANON, but seems workable. Herself has noted that the lack of 'modern' methods of transport made life very difficult for the colonists as they fought to survive.  
> ========================  
> There are five social classes on Barrayar, the Emperor and High Vor, the Counts, the regular Vor, the Twenty Year men, and the rest of the population. Any man can enlist in the military or join the Civil Service, if they make twenty years they can retire and be considered the social equal of the regular Vor, allowing them to marry in to this lowest level of the Aristocracy. Most Prole families have blood ties to several Vor families; giving them influence in the political life of their District. A Twenty Year Man can run for local office on an equal footing with a Vor (If that District has elective offices), or can be appointed to Civil Offices by the Count [Ref: Speaker Karal at Silvy Vale]. 
> 
> Twenty Year Men have one priviledge that Vor don't have; if they're convicted of Treason (say, for Embezzlement), they aren't automatically set for Execution; they would be imprisoned or exiled as punishment. Not a large advantage, but something.


	13. Shaking out the continent.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> OK, The Khan is dead, now what the Vor do we do?

With the death of Khan Dymitri, and the prominence of the Vorbarra Family and their allies in the center of the continent; the political structure of the Colony changed. Each land grant from the original colonization company ceased to be the legal basis for a regional boundary; Corporate charters stopped having legal meaning. 

What mattered was the strength of a family and their ability to express power. Every major family had topographic maps of the continent; inherited from the company archives; new boundaries were accepted based on rivers, mountain ridges, lake shores, or other easily found land features. There was very little combat - creating a militia drew men away from terraforming or farming; there were a few weeks every spring and fall when manpower was available for face to face confrontations. Normally, the two sides met at the disputed border; rocks were thrown along with insults, then the two leaders agreed on an easily seen dividing line, and everyone went home - unless there was a Pre-Fire roadway or bridge in the area that needed repair; then the two sides, recognizing the mutual need to have the structure maintained, the collected workforce made the repairs. The old agreement, based on the initial Colony-wide conference, that roads, bridges, dams, weirs; or other universally useful structures were a regional responsibility, was honored by everyone.

The leading families didn't all adopt the word 'Vor' to signal their political prominence; each cultural area fell back to using traditional names for such: in the English regions, such families became 'Barons' or 'Counts', In French lands they recognized Comte or Vicomte as titles of aristocracy. The suffix or title didn't matter, the Colony changed to a semi-feudal structure where a family that led; ruled. 

The most powerful family in a region defined that region's borders; usually seven or twelve day's ride from their main city, or two days ride from the local stronghold. Geography often set the border; if the local family considered a mountain ridge or river to be their border, and they wouldn't send patrols past that line, then their overlord respected that. this created unrecognized areas - a valley between two districts, islands in rivers that sat between the claims of the forces on each bank - these enclaves were tolerated as free trade spaces; tolerated for the political utility as places not bound by common custom.

The common name for these largest land holdings is now 'District', during this time traditional names were applied - Ridings, Shires, Freeholds, Argans, Oblast, Duchy, Princedoms. The official names of every District reflects those original descriptions; used only in highly formal documents and ceremonies. 

The social structure formed around fifty three Great Families in the center of the Continent; Vorbarra being preeminent. On the western coast, there were ten primary families, they were ignored, and happily ignored, the Central and Eastern areas. On the Eastern coast, twelve families rose to control and power, with the preeminent family being the Hartungs. The Eastern families had, in total, about the same agricultural output as the Central lands, as they had started terraforming decades before there had been any expansion over the eastern mountains.

The Central regions had a wider industrial base, as most of the mines and quarries had been in an on the central mountain spine. In the effort to re-industrialize after the second fire the machine shops at those mining sites formed the nucleus of new factories. The main produces of plows, harrows, reapers, and other agricultural equipment were clustered around the mines that produced the ores that fed the refineries and casting halls. The Coast traded grain and fertilizers for farming equipment and metal ingots; a trade parity was created. The ships that conducted coastal and river trade were built in drydocks and naval yards on the Eastern coasts; the timbers drawn from the first forests planted on the planet. Trade meant survival. 

This balance, based on the relative strengths of the two side of the Colonies, couldn't last. As the forest planed in the center of the Continent matured, shipyards and chandleries were formed; the terraforming efforts outpaced the demands of the population , creating a surplus of grain. The total population settled at a stable range; the two zones ceased to need each other to provide deficiencies. Old political rivalries emerged; as Farmers and Urbanites restarted their old quarrels. 

Everything centered on the centuries old argument between the Barries - now Vorbarras, and the Hartungs. The Hartungs had become the primary bankers for the colonists; Novo Salamis the main financial center. Vorkosian Vashnoi, on the main cross continent roads, as well as being on a major waterway, had grown to be the second largest financial center. The Vorkosigans were the staunchest supporters of the Vorbarras, second only to the Vorpatrils and Vorhalas (formerly Hallan).

Farmer versus Banker is a conflict eons old; most history texts from old Earth describe such; the Farmers have grain that the Bankers need for their bread, the Bankers have the coin the Farmers need to by tools, buy cloth, or pay taxes. Neither agrees with the value the other places on what they have - a fight ensues. 

So it was here. In this case, the Farmers had a larger population to draw on than the bankers - when armies marched, it was the Farmers from the center of the Continent that streamed across the mountain passes, to surround the coastal cities.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This covers a long span of time. Herself doesn't mention a major city that could have been the Vorbarra's originally, I'm using Vorbarr Sultana as a replacement. At the junction of a major road, and on a major waterway it would have been very important, giving the Vorkosigans lots of political power.


	14. Money Money Money Money (makes the world go round)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> a Mark or a Yen or a Buck or a Pound......
> 
> (Yes, I love Liza Minnelli in Cabaret - but you should see Judi Dench as Sally Bowles!)

Barraayar has had several currencies since the Colony was founded. When the colony was chartered by the Terran UN, the official currency was the Euro, pegedd against the European Euro. The companies that gained charters for development placed bonds in Euros for their performance, this was the basis of the new Colonies currency. The Colonists deposited their Terran funds (if different from the EU Euro) with the UN, and received credit in Colony Euros. This was carefully balanced by the Economists to keep the Colony solvent; to prevent a damaging trade imbalance.

Initially, the Colony used metallic currency for all transactions; the Economists decided that a metal currency - rather than Fiat money based on precious metal reserves, was financially sound; "If they have to make it, they can't easily fake it" In the words of a famous Economist. While an electronic banking system was started, the limited communication between most outlying stations limited its use. Effectively, each outpost had its own local monetary market, most transactions were between residents. Companies were forbidden to operate Company stores or operate Company housing development, except under strict controls. Most of the trade to the Colony capitol was for wholesale goods for local stores, or to buy supplies and equipment for outposts. 

When the jumppoint closed, the colonial government realized that the previous fiscal policy had to change; The Colony euro became a fiat currency - not really backed by anything but the value of the metal in each coin. Financial chaos ripped thru the Colony for months, until the Hartung Family started minting a new coin - based on their companies assets. 

The coins they minted were in Half-Mark, One Mark, Ten Mark, Fifty Mark, and Hundred Mark denominations, Half Mark and one Mark were in Cupronickle, Ten and Twenty Five Mark in Phosphor Bronze, and Fifty and Hundred Mark in Gold. They were octagonal, except the Half Mark, which was round. The Family declared that the Gold marks were at par to weight values, the other coins at marked value - and started selling supplies at prices pegged to that value. Colony Euros were accepted, but change was given in Marks. 

The other companies quickly accepted the Hartung Mark as a valid currency; following their lead in financial policy. When the first solar flare hit, it damaged the computers and databanks that had held the financial records of the Colony; money in deposit was erased; what there was of a Colony Bank was unable to honor withdrawal request unless the depositor could show a printed statement.

People began using Hartung marks as trade currency, the Hartung Mint produced thousands of coins; They had a precious metal mine in operation, as did several other companies, so there was no doubt that they could honor demands for specie if asked. Trade stabilized quickly, as a stable currency that was trusted began circulating.

The Khanate issued its own coins, but their currency wasn't accepted, except for the Gold, Silver and Precious metal (Platinum, Osmium (very rare!), and Hafnium) ingots they minted. Prices were quoted in Hartung Coin almost everywhere - for all types of merchandise. Grain, Ingots, transport, wine - all quoted in Hartung Gold Octagons. 

Local establishments created fractional tokens for below one Mark transaction, made of wood, aluminum, or copper. They weren't used outside of the local community, but served local needs. Payrolls for employees quickly were paid in Hartung Coin, or in Company script payable in Hartung coin; as local stores bought and sold to Novo Salamis suppliers only in Hartung Marks.

This fiscal stability kept the colony together; trade didn't stop due to arguments about prices and values. The Hartungs (and the merchants in Novo Salamis) were the dominant fiscal power in the Colony, ballasting the economy. 

Financial stress accumulated; as goods and services dwindled, and the ability to make many items reduced, pressure grew on the Hartung bankers to change the value of the Hartung Gold Octagon - it's value (in terms of kilograms of wheat, or tonne of Iron ore), as both became more scarce. This was a major cause of conflict between the 'Centrals' - those who lived in the Central plains and the Western stretches of the Eastern mountain chain, and the 'Coastals' , living on the Eastern seaboard and close to Novo Salamis. 

This eventually became the primary trigger for the War against the Bankers - when the 'Centrals' marched across the Mountains to besiege Novo Salamis, led by the Vorbarra Family; 

=================

Denise:

This was supposed to be about the various types of currency and coinage used, not a financial history. I'm drafting the chapter on the basis of the Banker's War, not you!

Olya  
=====

Olya:

OK, how about this...

Denise  
======================

[Keep the first four paragraphs]

The examples shown in the Strong Room are courtesy of the Vorsmythe Family.

The Khanate issued it's own coinage; a One Per, Five Per, Ten Per, Fifty Per, and One hundred Per issue. The One, Five and Ten Per were Brass or Bronze; the Fifty and Hundred were Gold. There was little circulation of the lower denomination Per Coins outside the Khanate, the two gold coins traded at their metal value.

The Examples in the Strong Room are courtesy of the Vorinnis Family.

After the ending of the Khanate, the Vorbarra Family negotiated a treaty with the Hartungs to open a Mint in their district, to provide coinage for the Central Plains area. The distance from the Mint in Novo Salamis limited the available currency in the Central plains, limiting the economy. The Vorbarra mint only produced the lower denominations, the Gold issues remained at the Novo Salamis Mint.

The Proof and uncirculated sets in the Strong room are courtesy of the Vorkosigan Family. 

Several different series of Mark Coins were produced over the decades; creating the dies for the pressing mills was a labor intensive task. Coins last much longer than paper or plastic bills, so new issues weren't needed to replace damaged stock. These anniversary sets have included special issues of Twenty Five and Seventy Five Mark Coins, in Electrum, an alloy of gold and silver.

Example of four anniversary issues on display courtesy of the Vormuir, Vorpatril, and Vordarian Families.

There was a completely new issue of coinage after the Vorbarra family took control after the War of the Bankers; replacing the previous Hartung sets. The existing stock of Hartung coins were still valid for trade - occasionally such are turned into banks; they are honored at face value (Excepting Gold, Silver, and Electrum issues, which are honored by weight).

There is a special issue of One Thousand Mark Coins minted every dozen years; to provide coin for the "Emperor's Gift". By tradition, the Counts do not pay Taxes, which assumes an inferior status compared to the Emperor, instead each Count gives the Emperor a "Birthday Gift"; in Gold coins or Bullion. Currently, the majority of the "Gift" is transferred directly to the Treasury, but a few thousand in Coin is handed directly to the Emperor in a ceremony during his Birthday celebration. These coins are presented to him in specially crafted pouches, decorated with symbols traditional to each district. 

Examples courtesy of the Imperial Treasury.

Between Gregor 7 and Gregor 13, The Regent allowed Counts to replace a few of the coins in each pouch with gold figurines; of animals and such found in a farmstead or ranch. These constituted the "Emperor's Farm and Stables". In total one hundred and eighty one figures were produced. the Imperial Treasury screamed in pain at the thought of all that gold not being deposited into the vaults; but a fashion arose to collect such figurines; the Treasury quickly trademarked the originals, licensing the production of replicas at a substantial profit. The fees collected were shared with the Counts and Craftsmen who had supplied the originals; to their net benefit. 

A few dozen of the original set are on display in the Strong room; authorized replicas are available from a variety of vendors.

With the establishment of the modern electronic banking system the major cities and many regional towns, the need for specie has been reduced, but areas away from the banking network still depend on Coins and bills in commerce. Metal coins are preferred by people in outlying areas; solid representation of value and wealth. 

===================  
Olya:

That better?

Denise.  
===============  
Denise:

Absolutely!

Most of the stuff you wrote that's not being used will merge with my section on the Banker's War. You can be co-author!

Olya.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Parts of this are inspired by [ Birthday Wishes](https://archiveofourown.org/works/1180687/chapters/2407724)by Zoya1416.


	15. A polite request to stop, planned.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Old friends try avoid something worse.

Lord Gregor Vorbarra had been born in Novo Salamis; his parents had been visiting when she delivered. His mother, Countess Estella, stayed in Novo Salamis for two years after Gregors' birth, to recover and to stand the four month trip across the Eastern mountains back to Vorbarra Centralia. Estella became strong friends with Bettie Hartung, the wife of Prime Administrator Casimir Hartung.

At thirteen, Gregor was sent to Novo Salamis to attend boarding school; accompanying boys from the Vorkosigan, Vorhalas, and Vormuir families. This was a normal practice; the schools in Novo Salamis were considered the best on the planet; and, as every Vor, Count, Baron, or Khalid wanted their sons and daughters to know, and be known, by their peers; the boarding schools in Novo Salamis collected the scions of every notable and powerful family. The education on arts and sciences was excellent; the social mixing and introductions equally valuable. 

Gregor met everyone, it seems to him (his diaries are a day to day record of everyone he met; his opinion of them, and who he wanted as friend - and recognized as a potential enemy) that he was the second most influential person in town, almost fated to be the rival, and enemy of Miles Hartung. 

He chose to ignore that fate, and made a point of befriending Miles; they had similar problems; everyone they met seemed to want to be their friend, for political purposes; not from personal attraction. He records in his diary a long plan to meet with Miles in a neutral setting; to discuss openly their mutual problem - they would both be turning seventeen in the same month; target of every young woman debutante everywhere - the prize picks in the Vor Dragon's wedding competition.

Miles didn't keep as detailed a diary as Gregor, his letter to his Mother, and his and Aunt Geary have more detail. His aunt was warning him about the snares and tricks the mothers of the young women would be setting for him; and cautions for him to find and make friendships across all social boundaries; urging him to look past the names and titles to see the man inside the tunic and trousers. he'd be involved, politically, economically, socially, and romantically with his classmates as they inherited or grew into their positions; he needed to make honest friends; not hangers on and social drones as companions. 

Gregor finally managed a private meeting with Miles at a public house in the caravanserai, deep in the ancient trading district in Novo Salamis. It served the day laborer and warehouse men of the area; the public markets where the foodstuff of a thousand farms and ranches came to be sold, traded, or brokered to any who had the coin. 

It was, in Gregor's words "A deep dive of a gin hell; filled with men who drank hard, fought freely, and took guff only from the waitresses who filled the mugs they drank from". It was, incidentally, a Vorkosigan property; two blocks from the Vorkosigan city house and wares depot; part of the original land grant in Novo Salamis claimed by the family when the city was first established. 

(Any family that could trace itself back to one of the original companies had such a land claim; a reserve for the company to have a staging yard, or warehouse, to receive, store, and ship to the main claim somewhere on the planet. As companies merged, or failed, the unclaimed land was grabbed by squatters or settlers; markets established themselves for traders to mix and deal. The current Caravanserai is smaller than the original district; but it reflects the mercantilistic nature of the original.)

Miles and Gregor met, with their friends acting as guards, for the two young men to meet without formality. They measured the worth and strength of each other - Gregor writes in his diary that he broached the point that they were both on the block as the most valuable slabs of bachelor meat anywhere; followed by most of the friends they'd brought to the bar. "Every wife, grandmother, great aunt, and grandfather will be aiming their daughters at us; we'll be under siege like Callum's Castle. Every Count, Baron, Khan, or Ritter will be aiming to plant a hook in us; My father warned me about taking favors from those people, as they'd try to blackmail me with something I've done now for the next fifty years. I'll bet the next round that your dad and granddad have told you the same thing, right?"

Miles paid for the next round - and the two young men found a common ground of affection.

The eventual social club that formed around the two was a very mixed assortment of students from the boarding schools; sons of Counts mixed with sons of bakers; the placing of Miles's or Gregor's hand on a boy's shoulder, and an invitation for a drink, set everyone in the circle on equal terms. Miles and Gregor mostly paid for the drinks and food; tho they tapped the count's sons and scions of the wealthy for their due share, but coming form a house of no name, on a scholarship, meant nothing. It was character, not name, that mattered to the two.

Miles wrote a formal note to his father when he lost his virginity - 'for the family records', as an excuse - telling his father that he had used 'protections'; and the woman was one known to Gregor. he doesn't state where this happened, or the circumstances; it's almost a certainty it was in the Caravanserai - a place unknown.

After graduating from boarding school, Gregor went back to Vorbarra Centralia; to stay two years before returning to Novo Salamis for University. He wrote constantly to Miles, and the other members of their club; a steady correspondence between all of them (The family archives at Vorkosigan Vashnoi had the most complete set of these letters, now lost in the destruction of the city). From his letters to Miles it's clear that they had a deep personal feeling for each other; they don't mention the political tensions between their fathers or families; but on how they had lived inside each others those two last years. 

Miles's letters show a similar deep friendship with Evon Vorhalas, and Nigel Vorrutyer; avoiding the current politics of the day, exchanging gossip about their classmates, who was being wed to whom, what woman was mistress to what second son - or what countess had what lord on a lover's leash. 

Miles and Gregor met again on their admission to University; Gregor was enrolled in Par River A&M, Miles in Solos Tendi College, Mapsbury University, Salamis County. The two universities were in riding distance of Novo Salamis; allowing the students to spend some time there on occasional weekends; but the main rules of the Universities was that the students should remain on the campuses and within the towns adjacent during the academic sessions.

After University, they returned to their family seats; Miles started following his Father, attending sessions of Colony Council (The successor to the original Colonial Business board); and learning how to maintain the families position and power.

Gregor returned to Vorbarra Centralia; to become the Agricultural Director; responsible for the planning and oversight of the crop lands and forests in the Vorbarra District. He constantly conferred with the Agricultural managers of the surrounding districts; arranging civil engineering projects and setting prices on fertilizer and fuel oil.

Cast forward fifteen years, and both had inherited the leadership of their families; Miles had the more public role of Colony Leader, Gregor was the person the Counts of the Central plains look to for guidance. Both had maintained their friendly communications over the years; negotiating their way out of problems via their open respect for each other. Attempts by speculators in Novo Salamis to corner markets had been foiled by Miles; who saw that the brief benefit the speculators would gain was destructive tot he Farmers and Ranchers that colony depended on - taking a long view of the economic needs of the Colony over the short term assumptions of the financial market. 

Gregor led the Central Plains Districts into maintaining the roads and bridges, expanding the Terraforming efforts, and encouraging the rotation of crops and livestock to maintain the fertility and health of the soil. At his urging, the Vorinnis family expanded their foundry and forge, urging them to work with the Vorsmyth family to produce a series of small steam and Diesel stationary engines; and increased the production of farm machinery by the Vorbarra Factories. 

Both Miles and Gregor knew that the survival of the Colony was a slender thing; the population was still low - below one hundred thousand; and the amount of terraformed land was still barely adequate to feed the population. They worked hard to stop wars or conflicts from starting or spreading; Miles had to prevent speculators from twisting the Markets in ways that would bankrupt farmers - taking their land out of production; Gregor lobbied his fellow Counts to encourage marriage and births; and increase the land under agriculture. 

The Vorbohn family discovered that tilling a checkerboard of plots and terraforming them, then waiting for several years would result in a mostly terraformed plot of land; the Terran biome would spread and overwhelm the native biome if encouraged. It was necessary to scour the naturally claimed land of the remaining native plants; an easy task compared to the old methods of 100% reclamation. One years worth of effort could reclaim what would have taken five years; if properly done.

This led, in a decade's time, to the first major increase in the available terraformed cropland since the process started, over two hundred and fifty years before. This led to a shift in the center of the agricultural markets; prior to this the Eastern plains, which had been in production the longest, and been the largest producers of crops and livestock; Now the Central plains, with the increase in arable land, met the yearly production of grains from the East.

The economic balance of the Colony shifted; the Grain markets in Vorkosigan Vashnoi and the Livestock markets in Vorhalas Athenos began to set the market - to the frustration of the Novo Salamis brokers. Their attempts to maintain masters of the Market led to a disastrous crash in Colony Year 235; which led to the siege of Novo Salamis.

The near destruction of the agricultural markets in 235 inflamed the rural population of the Colony; The people who had caused the crash wanted the Farmers and Ranchers to bear the financial burden of recovery - that's what the population of the Central Plains districts understood. The Factors and Land Men who had come from Novo Salamis to gain payment for the mortgages and agricultural loans outstanding were met by furor and anger; the District Guards and Police were overwhelmed.

Claims by the Novo Salamis bankers for repayment of the loans met frosty greetings in the District Courts; The counts understood the financial maneuverings that had led to the crash, and when lawsuits were filed to demand repayments, the plaintiffs were asked penetrating questions of what the Banks and Brokers had done in creating the crash - on the basis that someone who creates a loss cannot lay it on another. 

The result was an economic war between the East coast and the Central plains; creating a split between the two populations that threatened to destroy the internal markets of the colony - resulting in the isolation of each community; leading to the eventual extinction of everyone. The Vorbarras and Hartungs - in addition to the other primary families - knew they had to act to prevent this extinction event. 

Miles Hartung tried to change the attitudes of the major trading and brokering families; they held firm to the attitude that money loaned must be repaid; losses were for other people. Gregor attempted to create a new market center in Vorkosigan Vashnoi; to split the economic power of Novo Salamis; creating a competition between the two that would moderate the financial warfare. Neither was successful, on the whole.

The next years crop was huge - good weather; more land in use - but the Eastern markets wouldn't buy from the Central plains. Grain prices dropped in Sultana; and prices spiked in Salamis - another market disaster.

Gregor Vorbarra saw only one solution - the financial men in Novo Salamis had to understand that they had a direct stake in the well-being of the Central Plains; they couldn't depend on the farms of the Eastern coastline to feed them. The political split between the Coast and Plains had to be welded shut; the psychological divide caused by the Eastern mountains had to be eliminated.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know if there's a canonical name for the capitol of the Vorhalas District, I chose 'Vorhalas Athenos' on a whim. If someone can find same, please post a remark!
> 
> (In a previous chapter I noted that the important characters for this time were Lord Gregor Vorbarra and Lord Miles Hartung. I've edited this to match the previous text. My error!)


	16. Geography of Barrayar.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What's where, and naming of names.
> 
> (Aha! the mysterious missing chapter!)
> 
> I didn't want to post this until I had done the map, and I'm not experienced with the program (Hexographer V 1.80.6) 
> 
> It's mostly Canon compliant, but errors are there, don't kvetch to much!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a bit redundant, so bear with me...
> 
> The red rectangle close to the center of the map is the Vorkosigan district. On the right side are hexes with red city markers, that's where Vorbarr Sultana is. 
> 
> The thin black lines are the roads built during the early years of the Colony, when they had the use of Galactic Technology. 
> 
> Blue lines are rivers, assume bridges or fords where needed.
> 
> Most of the lowlands are now cultivated farmland. 
> 
> City locations are suggestions; not canon. 
> 
> This isn't really to scale, but reflect my concept of Barrayaran geography. 
> 
> I'm responsible for all errors.

[](https://www.flickr.com/photos/rgmolpus/48707718166/in/photostream/)

General Map of the North Continent of Barrayar 

  


[](https://www.flickr.com/photos/rgmolpus/48707412668/in/dateposted/)

Detail map of Central and Eastern Barrayar. 

The Northern continent of Barrayar is a rough parallelogram, stretching from the Arctic circle (10 degrees from the North Pole) to the 60th North parallel. The continent is divided into four main zones, an Eastern plain, bounded by a north-south mountain chain; a southern plain, on the east limited by the North-south mountains, and divided from the Northern plains by an east-west chain of mountains. there is a western mountain chain, parallel to the Western coastline; with many internal valleys that stretch for hundreds of kilometers. 

There is a huge bay that stretches from the arctic circle down into the Continent. It's fed by dozens of medium and small rivers that are sourced from the Dendari range, and the northern Central plains. During the winter, the northern reaches of the bay are frozen solid, with the southern 20% staying open. 

The chain of mountains that splits the Continent in two from north to south does not extend to meet the western coastal range; it stops in a range of low hills, leaving an gap of open prairie.

On the lower eastern edge of the Continent is a peninsula, that reaches eastward into the ocean for 20 degrees. Most of this peninsula is no more than fifty meters above the high tide line. It's mainly sand and swamp.

There is another peninsula that reaches south from the far western edge of the continent, reaching towards the Southern continent. The gap between the end of that peninsula and the Southern Continent is filled with a chain of small islands, none of major size, but allowing easy sailing access between the two land masses.

There are many coastal islands surrounding the Northern continent; providing a protective waterway along the coast. While the oceans of Barrayar are not terraformed, the coastal bays and inlets can be blocked off and treated to allow Terran aquaculture to exist. 

The Eastern Mountain chain is divided into three named spans. The Northern reaches are the 'Adirondacks'; after the mountain range in the Northeast American Continent. They end at the Watertown Gap, the main passage thru the mountains onto the Northern Plains.

The center section of the Eastern Mountains are the 'Ural' Mountains, named after the mountains in western central Asia. The stretch from the Watertown Gap to the 'Kentucky ridge', a spine of rock that forms a border with a major river that passes thru the mountain chain. The East-West mountains merge with this section , forming a 'T'.

The southernmost span is named the "Pecos Hills"; they are notably lower than the rest of the chain. These do not reach to the southern coastline, but only by eighty kilometers. 

The East-West chain has the name, for most of it's span, of the 'Dendarii Mountains'. This is believed to be a corruption of the name 'Devils Dentures' , a very rugged and sharp stretch of individual mountains adjacent to the Ural chain. There are three usable passes thru the Dendari range, two on the eastern reaches, one at the western end. The Dendarii range ends in a series of low rolling hills and plateaus; these fill the gap between the Dendarii range and the Western coastal mountains. 

The western coast has several large islands clustered around the mouth of the Great Western River; this dominates the Northwestern edge of the continent. There is a western coastal plain, but most of the western coast is deep native 'forest', huge fernlike quasi-trees. . The coast is a mix of high bluffs and rocky beaches; with only two notable bays. One of the bays is the mouth of the Great Western river, the other is on Circle Bay, the remnants of a huge meteor strike from a million years in the past. It is believed that this strike caused the extinction of most animal life on the planet; and denuded most of the plant life for several thousand years. 

Many rivers descend from the mountains, some flowing directly to the surrounding seas, others winding across the plains. There are many major lakes, some similar in size to the Great Lakes of the North American continent, or the Caspian Sea of Asia. There are a multitude of minor lakes, linked by smaller rivers, that eventually feed into the major rivers; creating a portage system important after the Years of Fire.

Most of the Southern Prairies are now farmland, there are huge swaths of the Northern plains that have yet to be terraformed. Most of the arable land in the mountain chains are awaiting terraforming. Almost all of the Eastern coast has been terraformed.

During the initial colonization effort, two major highways were constructed across the continent; one north of the Dendariis, the other south; both roughly parallel to the chain. A set of north-south roads were constructed, passing the the lowest passes in the Dendarii range. An eastern coastal road was built, that connected with the two cross-continent roads. These roads were maintained and were passable thru the long years of the time of Isolation. 

Vorbarr Sultana is on a set of bluffs that mark the divide from the eastern highlands and the coastal lowlands; The Barr River, sourced in the Ural Mountains, cuts thru the bluffs, making a series of rapids over a span of forty three kilometers. It is possible to pole and portage up the gorge on the river, allowing access between the high and low lands. 

The Northern Continental road begins at the north edge of Vorbarr Sultana, it's junction with the Eastern Coastal road is twelve kilometers inland. The Southern road meets with the Eastern road two hundred five kilometers south of Vorbarr Sultana. 

Between the highland bluffs at Vorbarr Sultana and the Ocean is a long estuary, broad and fed by several other rivers similar to the Barr; a nexus of easy river transport for the eastern seaboard. The estuary of mainly fresh and brackish water, and has been almost completely terraformed since the colony was founded. 

The first areas terraformed on Barrayar are on the Eastern seaboard; the initial research and exploratory camps were established close to Vorbarr Sultana. Other research camps were established across the Continent, but the initial terraforming experiments took place on the Eastern highlands. 


	17. The Blue Pencil attacks!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Helen has her way.......

To:  
Michael Vortanner  
Simone Vordumon  
Denise Mallow  
Olya Kyrilya

I've inspected the current chapter on Vorhartung history.

See me, each of you bring two hard copies (Triple Spaced) of your current chapter.

I'm available after 1630 Today.

Professora Helen Vorthys.

==============================

Lord Gregor Vorbarra had been born in Novo Salamis. His mother, Countess Estella, became strong friends with Bettie Hartung, the wife of Prime Administrator Casimir Hartung. She and her husband had been in Novo Salamis for business meetings.

At thirteen, Gregor was sent to Novo Salamis to attend boarding school; the schools there were the best on the planet; the boarding schools collected the scions of every notable and powerful family.

Gregor met everyone (his diaries are a day to day record of everyone he met); he was the second most influential person in town,second only to Miles Hartung.

Miles didn't keep as detailed a diary as Gregor, his letter to his Mother, and his Aunt Geary have more detail. His aunt insisted he find and make friendships across all social boundaries.

Gregor managed a private meeting with Miles at a public house in the caravanserai, deep in the ancient trading district. The two young men found a common ground of affection.

After graduating from boarding school, Gregor went back to Vorbarra Centralia; and stayed for two years before returning for University. Miles's letters show a similar deep friendship with Evon Vorhalas, and Nigel Vorrutyer; exchanging gossip about their classmates, who was being wed to whom, news on political events, and general news about their family lands

After University, they returned to their family seats; Miles started following his Father, attending sessions of Colony Council (The successor to the original Colonial Business board); and learning practical politics.

Gregor returned to Vorbarra Centralia; to become the Agricultural Director; responsible for the planning and oversight of the crop lands and forests in the Vorbarra District. He constantly conferred with the Agricultural managers of the surrounding districts; arranging civil engineering projects and setting prices on fertilizer and fuel oil.

Cast forward fifteen years, both Miles and Gregor had ascended to the leadership of their families. They knew that the survival of the Colony was a slender thing, the population was still low - below one hundred thousand; and the amount of terraformed land was still barely adequate to feed the population. They worked hard to stop conflicts from starting or spreading. Miles had to prevent speculators from twisting the Markets in ways that would bankrupt farmers; Gregor lobbied his fellow Counts to encourage marriage and births, improved healthcare; and increase the land under agriculture.

The Vorbohn family discovered that tilling a checkerboard of plots and terraforming them, then waiting for a few years, was a cheaper method of creating more farmland. It was necessary to scour this new land of the remaining native plants; an easy task compared to the old methods of 100% reclamation. One years worth of effort could reclaim what would have taken five years; if properly done.

This led, in a decades time, to the first major increase in the available terraformed cropland. This led to a shift in the center of the agricultural markets; prior to this the Eastern plains, which had been in production the longest, and been the largest producers of crops and livestock; Now the Central plains, with the increase in arable land, exceeded the agricultural production of the East.

The economic balance of the Colony shifted; the Grain markets in Vorkosigan Vashnoi and the Livestock markets in Vorhalas Athenos began to set the market; this led to a disastrous crash in Colony Year 235.

This near destruction of the agricultural markets inflamed the rural population of the Colony; claims by the Novo Salamis bankers for repayment of the loans met frosty greetings in the District Courts; The counts understood the financial maneuverings that had led to the crash, brokers had a hard time pressing claims for repayment.

Miles Hartung tried to change the attitudes of the major trading and brokering families; they held firm to the attitude that losses were for other people. Gregor attempted to create a new market center in Vorkosigan Vashnoi; creating competition that would moderate the markets.

The next years crop was huge - good weather; more land in use - but the Eastern markets wouldn't buy from the Central plains. Grain prices dropped in Sultana; and prices spiked in Salamis - another market disaster.

Gregor Vorbarra saw only one solution - the financial men in Novo Salamis had to understand that they had a direct stake in the well-being of the Central Plains; The political split between the Coast and Plains had to be welded shut; the economic split between the East coast and the Central plains had to be ended.

====================

To:  
Michael Vortanner  
Simone Vordumon  
Denise Mallow  
Olya Kyrilya

There! From 144 lines to 59; and 732 words from 2138. This booklet can't be an inch thick - remember that. 

What was excised could be the basis of lecture notes (if you ever teach the introduction to Barrayaran history), so don't toss the original away. Apply the editors' eye that I showed to the rest of the text, and the work will be much improved. 

Please have a revised draft of the text as it is ready by next Thursday.

Professora Helen Vorthys.


	18. What's the worst they could do? Umm... Hanging?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Don't rile someone who uses a shovel instead of a pen.

Dr. Vorthys:

This is my first draft; I know it'll be pruned. I think I cover all the required points, and don't show to much favor to either side. 

My family was worried about getting the terraforming stable at our shrimp farm on the Alabaska bayou, not what was happening in Novo Salamis. I don't have a political dog in this fight - unlike Michael, who gets steamed if you say anything nice about the Vorbarra's of the time. 

Thanks;

Olya

==================================

In Colony year 236, The political fight between the Eastern financiers and the Mid-continent farmers went violent. Agents sent from Novo Salamis were mobbed by angry colonists in Vorkosigan Vashnoi; Buyers were assaulted in Vorbarra Budapest. When word of the violence came to Novo Salamis, orders were sent to recall the agents, most had already fled for their own safety. The impasse continued for four months, economic stagnation began to ruin life in both sides of the mountains. 

This had started as a pure business matter, it changed into a personal contest as posters began to be placed presenting the faces of the main protagonists; in Novo Salamis the faces of the Vorbarra Family were set with wild charges that they intended to conquer the whole Colony; in Vorinnis Capita the posters were of the Hartungs, and the three richest bankers; blaming them for the conflict. 

Due to the mountains separating the two groups, the conflict was fought with nasty letters exchanged between the two sides; rousing speeches given shouting insults across the peaks; but no thought was given to mounting an invasion across the mountains. Until...

In 237, in the middle of the war of words, four cattle traders decided to drive 250 head of cattle across to the first town out of the mountains on the eastern plains. Usually, cattle drives would continue to Niles City, where several packing plants had large stockyards; the traders decided that, with the current bad relations, selling fast was a better decision than trying for a higher price. 

The result was a disaster; agents from Novo Salamis tried to seize the livestock to settle contracts that had been declared void by Counts and Judges in the districts they'd been made on; Miles Hartung sent a special envoy to solve the mess; The solution was for the envoy to buy the livestock, then distribute the livestock in a proportional way to the agents. The Cattle Traders left with some money in hand, the Agents could report something like a success to their principles, and everyone was outraged that they hadn't been treated fairly. 

The Cattlemen returned to their homes, and a consensus started to form on the plains as the story circulated. If the Traders and Speculators in Novo Salamis wanted a fight - they'd have one.

The Vorbarra, Vorinnis, Vorkosigan, Vorrutyer, and Vorbohn families agreed to jointly take this violation of their sovereign rights and powers to the Hartung Family, basing their plan on the Hartung families' claim that they were the sole leader of the colony, the inheritor of the legal authority of the original Colonial Development corporation. After the second year of Fire, the legal basis of the Colony had been damaged; there was no agreement among the different districts of how they were organized, or authorized to exist. This conflict over trading between the districts touched directly on the question of _who_ had supreme political power, and _why_ they had it. Was the colony to be a balkanized arraignment of little States, or a Federal system, or what? And who was to be leader, and why? 

The Vorbarra, Vorkosigan, and Vorrutyer families began to structure the challenge against the Hartung family; first, they cached supplies on the roads across the Eastern Mountains, and used what influence they had with Districts on the Eastern Seaboard to arrange food and eventual lodging for the forces they'd lead to Novo Salamis. The Vorrutyer and Vorbohn families began to expand their private forces into a regularized militia; and began to recruit from the districts nearby. The other District Families debated joining the force led by the Vorbarras; some did, other decided not to officially join the force, but agreed to not oppose the effort. 

The final militia numbered approximately fifteen thousand, including men and women. This was close to twenty percent (20%) of the population of the central plains. The District leaders knew that had to be back by late September, to harvest the growing crops; or famine was inevitable.

The militia started on its way to Novo Salamis in May, Colony year 238. It crossed the mountains, arriving on the Eastern plains in June; split into two camps, one north of Novo Salamis, the other south. They waited for three weeks to receive new supplies from across the Mountains, before advancing to envelop the Capital City. 

The Hartung family had known of the approaching Militia for almost six months, as the Vorbarra Family had begun arranging the force. The Hartungs had begun to raise it's own Militia; but it could only raise a force of three thousand; a notably inferior force. They managed to raise a series of fortifications around Novo Salamis; trenches and ridges, and stockpiled supplies to withstand a eight month siege. If combat commenced, neither side had firearms in any quantity, as the weapons originally brought had long since exhausted the stocks of ammunition. Combat would be hand to hand, sword against axe; spear against arrow. Both sides had cavalry; which was mainly useful for scouting, as any fighting would be centered on the fixed defenses around Novo Salamis.

In late July, the invading force had mostly surrounded Novo Salamis; supplies could still enter the Capital from the coastline via the Barr river, and water was always available from the same source. The military situation was grim; the forces were effectively equal, from the strength the defenders had from the fortifications. 

On August 1st, a delegation from the Vorbarra, Vorkosigan, Vorinnis, Vorrutyer, and Vorbohn families called for a parley with the Hartungs. The Hartungs agreed, and the delegation entered Novo Salamis to meet with the Hartungs, and their supporters, in Hartung Castle, as it was the traditional center of political authority. 

Thirty men and women were present; as everyone in the besieged city waited in fear. Gregor Vorbarra met face to face with his old friend, Miles Hartung, cold and formal, with the leaders of the Vordarian family as official organizers of the meeting. The first few days of the conference were very tense; the western Families had daily deliveries of supplies brought to the castle; to demonstrate their distrust of the situation. 

After hours, the situation was less tense. Social affairs, Balls, Parties, Soirees, with long separated friends made a fancy backdrop to the serious nature of the confrontation; informal proposals were floated, debated, and altered; what could not be said formally could be whispered between women between dances. Most importantly, the senior members of the Families involved could meet in private; seeking a solution to this conflict.

The people who were left out were the speculators, bankers, and merchants who had started this conflict; while they attended the social swirl, they never were admitted to the private conferences. This alarmed them, as their wives and daughters reported on the rumors and gossip. A low panic began to spread; were they being sold out? Would Miles Hartung sacrifice them to maintain his position? 

==========================

On the night of August 16th, Gregor Vorbarra and Miles Hartung struck a deal - the Hartungs would abandon their claim on the Colony leadership, evacuate Novo Salamis, and not oppose the Vorbarra claim to be the rightful leader of the Colony. This was agreed to by the other Family heads; a deal done over bottles of wine and a lavish meal. The friendship between Gregor and Miles was the basis for this settlement; Miles did not want to see Novo Salamis turned to wrack and ruin by a siege; Gregor did not want to cause the deaths of so many, many, many of his fellow colonists. 

The private agreement wasn't made public for several days, as the Hartung Family quietly moved their possessions out of the City; The besieging forces caused confusion around the fortifications to hide the departure of the Hartungs. They headed north, up one of the tributaries of the Barr river, to a large island that in the river; where an unofficial town had formed. The Hartungs, assisted by the Vorkosigans and Vorutyers, overcame the local resistance, and helped the Hartungs to settle in to this previously unclaimed land. 

When the Conference restarted on August 23rd, to the surprise of most, the Hartungs were not present; instead the Vorbarra elders sat alone on the central dais. The family and District representatives were confronted with a coup - the Vorbarras claimed sole executive authority over the Colony, as the Hartungs had relinquished all rights and powers of leadership. This caused an out-roar; quickly quieted as the Vorbarra militia entered the conference room and lined the walls. At the same time, the gathered militias crossed the barricades, to take the city. 

There was fighting in the city, as private guards tried to resist the influx of the militias; the merchants, speculators, and bankers were besieged in their businesses and homes; records were burned; homes looted, a few hung; mainly those who had reputations as the central figures on the economic war between the City and the Farmers, The rampage was overseen by the Vorrutyer and Vorinnis militias. Fires were contained, a level of military discipline was maintained - rape and similar outrages were suppressed by the military police. 

The sack of the City was allowed to continue for two days; then the military leaders, with harsh force, drove most of the Militias out of the city and back to their encampments. Many in the invading force cried out for the Hartung family - to claim a measure of revenge against them; the combined leadership of the Vorbarra, Vorkosigan, Vorinnis, and Vorrutyer families refused; instead announcing a new political structure for the Colony.

The City was renamed Vorbarr Sultana; and the Vorbarra Family was now the preeminent political power on the Planet (They did not call themselves 'Emperors' at this time). They would be relocating from their original estates to the previous Hartung lands around the City; and their old lands would be divided among the Vorkosigan, Vorinnis, Vorpatril, and Vorhalas families, all abutting to the district. The Vorbohn family would also relocate across the mountains, displacing the Vormuir family. The Vorbohn Militia forces were charged with maintaining order in the Vorbarra district; taking immediate possession of lands adjacent to Vorbarra Sultana as their new homes. 

Little was said of the Hartungs, except that they were to be respected and honored as any Vor family was; but they chose to distance themselves from the ordinary operation of the colony. A general conference of all Districts and Families was announced for two years later; to create a formal basis for the colony. 

With that, the Militias were ordered home; to arrive as the summer's crops would be ready to harvest; so no famine or hardship might occur. Loot from the sack of Novo Salamis - now Vorbarra Sultana - was ignored by the militia leadership; and the massed army started it's slow walk home. 

The family leaders stayed in Vorbarr Sultana; to settle last moment concerns. The existing mint was confirmed; new coins were to be struck, but the old, Hartung currency was still valid. The speculators and bankers were placed under strict supervision; to prevent the sort of financial maneuvers that had sparked this war. While the economy wasn't government run; new laws would be drafted to prevent the sort of economic imbalances that had been occurring. The inhabitants started to rebuild; commerce restarted; and regular life began.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this has taken so long to appear; but writing 'small' was harder than I thought. I deleted several thousand words that were excess, to create something that the Professora would approve. 
> 
> Note the first appearance of the Vorrutyer clan - military leaders from day one!
> 
> The Hartungs occupied a small fortified island and the surrounding land to form their own little district. It was in land previously unclaimed; but occupied by a small trading village that existed between two larger farming districts. They still occupy the same land, but refuse to attend the Council of Counts meetings, tho they are entitled to, maintaining the snit started when Miles Hartung made his deal with Gregor Vorbarra.
> 
> (The Vorbarras talk with them constantly, and act as their representatives when needed. Everybody knows what "A matter of concern for our Valued Brothers" means in Council debates.
> 
> Now you know why the Vormuirs don't like the Vorbarras.....


	19. Creaks, Groans, things that go thud in the night...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Does Vorhartung Castle have ghosts?

Throughout the Nexus, humanity has carried with it legends of spooks, ghosts, spectres, - things that continue after a person has died. The supernatural is a constant in life; a comfort in the face of the terror of death. Remaining 'alive' in some fashion after death reduces the fear of death; it's not an absolute end; only a shift into a new life.

Stories of haunting by the deceased are everywhere in the Nexus; haunted spaceships, stations, Building, - even mops and brooms. Barrayar has it's share of such; and Vorhartung Castle has a full share.

The most 'Famous' is the Gentleman in White, who appears on the roof of the Castle. He's dressed in the style of a Vor from the middle of the Bloody Centuries; with a protruding Cravat, top hat, and walking stick with silver bands on the center of the shaft. These place him in CY 453, as the decorations on the stick are specific to that year. His face is never clear; and no family or house sign has been noted. there are no recorded deaths in or close to the Castle for that year, or two years before or after.

He is always reported as starting his walk at the Northeast Corner, then along the battlements in a steady path around the building. He ends at the same spot, stops, tips his hat at some invisible person, then leaps over the battlement into empty air.

Four men have jumped from the roof of the Castle; none at that spot. One survived, bouncing off a scaffold some workmen had placed; but that was in CY 500. 

Inside the building, there are mentions of ghosts wandering the halls, looking in vain for specific doors; some stop and knock on walls, where door may have existed in years past. A spectre is said to sit, apparently working at a desk, inside one of the maintenance closets on the second floor; examinations of old floor plans show that there was a Counts office at that spot in CY 335. 

Ghosts are said to cluster in the north side of the visitor's gallery in the main Council chamber; appearing during raucous debates by the Council. Occasionally, Members refer to those 'Ghostly Spectators, Judging us on our loquacity; remembering their own speaches and debates' - Count Boris Vorinnis (Xav 13) suggested that the Ghosts be consulted, as they had a better memory of previous session than any present!

The grounds of the Castle have their mysteries; One flowerbed refuses to accept daisies; they die within days of being set; while adjacent beds accept the flower easily. It was said by grooms and stable boys that Mares refused to enter the eastern stable unless a dog and a cat were present; stallions entered without complaint. Automobile tires seemed to fail after being driven over a bare concrete slab in the west end of the compound; hovercars have had similar problems close to that spot. Twenty Meters from that slab there once was a watering fountain for horses; removed in CY 575; it was a popular spot for the staff to gather and relax, socialize and chat. the concrete slab covers a water main joint that must be inspected every dozen years or so.

Strange rumbles and noises are common in the Castle; one famous one was discovered to be the result of a section of air duct that was not properly supported, when hot air circulated the metal expanded and would 'boom' as it shifted and swing freely. A mysterious rapping sound was discovered to be from a bad section of waterpipe in a ladies bathroom; found when an adjacent pipe burst in a very severe winter; the plumbers saw the pipe vibrating during the repair, and recognized water hammer in action. 

Other strange sounds have never been explained; A particularly fierce argument that led to a duel with two swords between Count Victor Vorbatailie and General Sir Rodney Vormuir is said to still resonate in the halls where the fight took place; on the anniversary of the battle. In one of the stairwells, the scream of Lord Pauin Vorfolse have been reported decades after his tragic fall; including the terminal 'thud' his body made on ceasing the descent.

Such stories are said about other building and places in Vorbarr Sultana, strange occurrences in the Residence, at the Municipal Stadium, the Ghost couple who seem to jump from the highest span of the Star Bridge every foggy Lammas Night - Mysteries of the human imagination, or actual proof of an existence after death; the speculation continues.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Something a little lighter....


	20. So, Genius, what do we do now?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gregor Vorbarra has to start solving this mess of a jigsaw puzzle.

Gregor Vorbarra had taken responsibility for overseeing the colony from Miles Hartung; and the load he started carrying was immense. He had to mediate between seventy five (75) different Districts/Settlements/Cooperatives/Collectives; spread across three quarters of the Continent. Each group claimed legal supremacy within it's own area; asserting primacy in everything, based on the original charter from the founding of the colony.

Yet they looked to him to be a neutral arbiter of the conflicts between them; responsible for weights and measures, the currency, and arranging trade across the continent. His capital city, Vorbarr Sultana, would be the main marketplace for the colony; everyone would look to him, and his heirs, to lead this disparate and complex web of individual businesses into some successful future.

One of his first problems was what should be his official title - an important pat of organizing the colony into a regular structure. Each district leader needed an official title that reflected their individual authority, but wouldn't conflict with the historic titles of others. Some district leaders were 'Field Managers', others had claimed the title 'Duke, Prince, or King'; some were Grand Potentates - it was a confusing mess of vanity and ego.

One title, to bind and organize; One title for ruling.

Many titles were suggested to Gregor; "Grand manager', "Executive Chairman', Premier President'; most rang as dull as a wooden nickle.

The solution came from Gregor's wife, Michelina, who had been in deep conversation with the wives of the district Executives. they realized that any title their husband claimed would be applied, in some form, to themselves - and who wanted to be 'Mrs. Grand Potentate'?

This circulated between the women for several months, until one suggestion solved the problem - for the women. Adrienne Vortrifani said, in a letter to Misha Vorfolse "What woman doesn't want to be a Contessa?".

If the wife was a Contessa, the husband had to be a Count - and the matter was solved not in a conference room but in the bedrooms across the Continent.

Since then, there has been a revised history that the regional leaders had all been Accountants - trained financial planners; involved with allocating and collecting taxes for various regional warlords. This is commonly repeated among many, but recent research of the letters passed between women at this time show the creation and spread of this; less than a third of the regional leaders had ever been subordinate, or had collected taxes or revenues for another. They had deep financial training, and knew how to arrange accounts and do financial planning; but none ever called themselves 'Accountants' as a primary appellation.

Gregor had promised to hold a Grand Convention within two years, he delayed for an additional year on the advice of his wife. She had been negotiation with many of the Count's wives about many matters - creating support for the new political structure the Gregor had been developing. 

Gregor's scheme was to create a Council of Counts, as the highest representative and legislative body in the colony. He, as first Count, would always have a managerial position in the Council; but what would the fundamental rules for the Council be?

He, in concert with his closest allies, slowly created a charter for the Council; one that balanced the power of the Counts in their own Districts with the collective power the Council must wield. He did not plan on being an emperor, only the intrinsic leader of the Council. He needed something to spark such a privileged into being; a show of authority that gave a clear demonstration of his leadership.

His wife, again, provided a possibility. On Earth, long ago, Herald had created rules for the composition of Shields and aristocratic crests; originally the shields were practical; used on battlefields to define the nobles from each other - to signal to all who was who, and what side was where. The color combination had to be clearly defined; so rules were set by the heralds for the composition of these battlefield markers. 

Michelina suggested that each Count have a formal costume; with an assigned set of colors for their livery. The choice of colors would be defined by the Council when the Count agreed to join; while every Count would be invited, they had to agree to attend - and be bound by the rules. Her trick was that the colors the Family would use to define itself was the first thing the Council would approve - and as more Counts joined, the fewer possible color combinations would be available. 

Gregor, as first Count, could choose what he liked, as would the first twenty or so Counts - all his allies. After that - Count number Seventy might be stuck with Chartreuse and Purple - and what would his wife say on that subject!

This was a weak reed to use in organizing the first Council; but if it held, Gregor's control of the Council would be established. He had other plans in place to establish his power; this was the most audacious.

The invitations to the Council's first meeting went out in CY 240; inviting every regional and district leader to Vorbarr Sultana. Gregor included a suggested charter for the Council; to replace the almost forgotten charter from the founding of the Colony.

His proposed Charter was:

#1: The Colony shall be governed by a Council of Regional and District leaders. The members of this Council shall be titled 'Counts'.

#2: The Council shall be the sole judge of it's membership. The Council in Full shall accept or dismiss Members by supermajority vote.

#3: Council Members shall be judged on matters of Treason, Felonies or serious Misdemeanors only by the Council itself.

#4: Each Count shall manage and maintain their District as they see fit; subject to laws and regulations that apply to all Districts equally. 

#5: Each Count shall be the highest Judge in their district, and shall be responsible for establishing a system of Laws and Justice that favor none above others in the district. 

#6: Each District shall respect the judicial decisions made in another District. Conflicts shall be decided by an appeal to the Council of Counts, who shall establish a commission or committee to decide these conflicts. 

#7: Lands Unclaimed by any District are reserved to the Colony as a Whole, for assignment and use as decided by the Council as a Whole.

#8: When the Council is not in whole session; the Administration of the Colony shall be assigned to the Family Vorbarra, being the first Family of the Colony. 

#9: No Count may be hindered or delayed in their travel to or from a session of the Council. 

#10: Each Count may declare a successor, who shall replace said Count on the instance of death, subject to review by the Council on request of one third of the members. 

#11: The organization and regulations of the Council shall be decided by itself; it may establish committees, permanent and temporary, to address such matters as may appear. A Parliamentarian shall be appointed to manage the orderly business of the Council, who shall confer with the Leaders of the Council to set a schedule of affairs.

Gregor proposed several initial points:

#1: The Council shall be initially composed of those who attend, in person or by representative, this Conference.

#2: Each Count, as they present themselves to the Council, shall choose two colors to represent their House and Family; subject to the colors available after earlier choices. No two counts may share colors; and different hues or tints shall be sufficiently different that no confusion is possible. 

#3: The residences used by a Count shall be held as belonging to their home Districts.

#4: Count Vorbarra may displace a historic claim on a place or building in Vorbarr Sultana, for the use of his administration; such a displacement shall be replaced on an equal scale as requested. 

#5: The Vorbarr Sultana Civil Guard shall publish a set of ordinances to regulate behavior within the city and the surrounding lands, excepting such lands as are held belonging to a Count's home district. 

#6: All in the boundaries of Vorbarr Sultana will be held to account for violations of said Ordinances. Count Vorbarra shall establish a Judiciary to adjudicate any violations of said Ordinances. 

#7: If your kids act stupid, they get turned over to you for punishment. I will be watching. 

#8: If your wife might hit you on the head with a frying pan; so might I. Restrain yourself!

#9: No open warfare on the streets. I will order bloodshed if someone gets stupid. Talk first, fight somewhere else.

#10: Go home when you get drunk; please!

#11: This is MY town, not yours. Be a PITA on your own turf.

The last five suggestions are known as the "Don't be stupid, kid" codicils; Direct, harsh, somewhat insulting; but they'd be needed once the conference started.


	21. How things are organized: the Beginning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The structure of the legal and commercial framework for the Colony on Barrayar; as it was when things started.

When the planet now known as Barrayar was discovered, the process to exploit and develop the plant and the stellar system was done following a set of treaties in force between various Earth Sectional governments and the Governments of several Planetary governments. These treaties were based on analysis of several failed and nearly failed Colonies.

First, several companies were chartered to manage the exploitation and development of differing parts of the system. One company would manage the use and exploitation of the Gas Giants, one company chartered for the exploitation of the Asteroid belts and clusters (not including and rings or bodies in orbit around planets); a third to manage any other valuable assets, and a final company to manage the exploitation and development of the habitable planet(s).

This Company (which was chartered on Beta Colony) then issued contracts, charters, and concessions to individual companies that chose to attempt to profit from the resources of the planet. The United Nations of old Earth provided a Colonial Government authority; to manage Criminal and civil law. The 'Chartered Barrayaran Development Company', as it might have been called, set limits on the companies that gained concessions in their chartering documents; requiring certain limits and acts by the companies to remain chartered - for example, mining companies had to include environmental waste reclamation methods in their operations, to prevent the pollution of the planet.

The Colonial Government would manage the population of the Colony; those people who were not under the direct management of chartered companies (If the charter allowed such) in civil matters; and everyone in criminal matters. The civic and Criminal codes were sample codes, approved by the Terran UN; based on the advice and efforts of the best legal minds of Earth. 

The Colonial Government was to begin operation when the population reached One Hundred and fifty Thousand; occupying a complex of offices built (by the Planetary Development company) in the prime city of the Colony (Novo Salamis). There would be a Colonial Residence, a Colonial Administration Center, a Colonial Hall of Justice, a Colonial Militia Center, a Colonial Records and Library, a Colonial Medical Center, and a Colonial Charter Office. All designed by the best architects of Earth, Beta Colony, and any local architects who wanted to apply. 

A Colonial Governor would be supplied by Beta Colony, and a Chief Justice, Chief Magistrate, General of Militia, a Surgeon-General, and Chief Librarian by the Terran UN. the staff of the colonial Governemnt would be from the Terran and Beta colony governments, detached until the Colony population reached one million.

Things didn't work out as planned.

The closing of the wormhole, when the Colony population was barely above seventy thousand, and the majority of the activity was centered on building the main infrastructure of the Colony, created a complex confusion of who was in charge (during this phase, the Planetary Development Company oversaw most matters), what was the legal code (while the suggested code was available; major sections weren't authorized until the Colonial Government was present); and what should be done?

As noted earlier, the Hartung family called a Grand Congress, which produced a workable legal and commercial framework. the Criminal code was basically that suggested by the Terran charter - with editing to adopt it to the local situation; the Civil code was also adapted and adopted. 

That's how the Colony operated for two hundred and forty years. The disruption of the two Stellar Flairs didn't disturb these agreements. Some regions of the planet adopted different structure - the Khanate of Varaudar Tau being one - but they accepted the fundamentals of the Terran code in dealings with organizations outside their bounds. 

The fancy Colonial Government buildings were never built. 

Then came the Siege of Novo Salamis and the departure of the Hartung Family, with the rise of the Vorbarra Family.

Between the Second Grand Council, and the Vorbarra ascendancy; there wasn't a formal legal structure in the colony. The legal system that was intended was never activated; not the formal colonial government. Instead; the oldest system of social organization restarted - the personal word of anyone who wanted to make a trade. 'A Man's word is his Bond' was the spine of all commerce - if you couldn't fill a bargain, you'd never be trusted - or only barely trusted - in any other trade. This is similar to the 'Deal' system in place between Barons on Jackson's Whole; to fail in a bargain was disastrous; unless it was obvious that performance was impossible. An agreement to provide timber would be voided if a forest fire burned a mountainside; or a contract to deliver wheat if a windstorm destroyed fields. This attitude slowly grew into a semi-formal system of oaths and personal bonds; initially a public handshake and recitation of the mutual terms and conditions; later, when a Count was appointing someone to represent him, the ceremony of hands inside hands developed. Contracts were made in public; with abundant witnesses; and every witness was expected to hold the two parties to the contract, in all but the most extreme cases. 

The formalities of this system developed slowly; not all parts of the colony began using 'my word is my bond' ; but as the different districts of the colony began to unify into a common politic, the practice spread. It was this informal, but accepted, simple political structure that Gregor Vorbarra started to form a unified government.


	22. Bricks of words, not clay.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gregor Vorbarra starts laying a political foundation.

The invitations to the new Congress were dispatched two and a half years after the change of Government, for the next summer. Seventy five invitations went out, Gregor didn't expect more than fifty to attend. The replies that came back met his expectations; twenty three District Managers - now Counts - said they'd come. The few who responded to say 'no' gave differing reasons, all distilled to "Who are you to do anything?"

This is a fundamental problem of society; what orders the conduct between people? In established societies, the rules for behavior have been created so long in the past that their origin is mythical - so understood and accepted that most people can't state what they are. The simpler rules, for etiquette and protocol, and recorded (Emily posts' Etiquette is in it's 200th edition, having been written in 20th Century America), but there are rules for life deeper than those; a 'Common Knowledge' for being in a society that are taught by example, not by being written down. 

The districts of Barrayar had their origins in dozens of societies from old Earth; with others based on Beta Colony, Escobar, The Peaceful Bretheren of Dalton IV - all tracing back to different Cultures and Societies on Old Earth. While most had their origin in the European Subcontinent; that region had developed hundreds of very different Cultures; with radically different social and government structures. Theocracies, Dictatorships, Semi-anarchism; Monarchies; Republics; Feudalism; Europe had been the birthplace of almost every system of Social Organization every created. Gregor Vorbarra had no common political thread tying everyone together - except for a respect for power and honor. 

The initial council of Counts was attended by twenty three Counts; people who knew and had supported Gregor at the beginning of the siege of Novo Salamis. They were:

Vorbarra  |  Vorbohn  |  Vorbretton  |  Vorconroy  |  Vordarian  |  Vorfolse  |  Vorgorov  |  Vorhalas  |  Vorinnis   
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---  
Vorkalloner  |  Vorkenny  |  Vorkosigan  |  Vorlightly  |  Vorpatril  |  Vorreedi  |  Vorrutyer  |  Vorsmythe  |  Vorsoisson   
Vortala  |  Vorthalia  |  Vorthys  |  Vortorren  |  Vorville  |  |  |  |   
  
The Conference took place in MaJune, CY243. The extra years of preparation had allowed Gregor to build new accommodations for most of the delegates; many had used the time to refurbish or build new family citadels, on the land traditionally claimed by the original company property. Vorhartung Castle had been rebuilt internally, to create the precursor to the current chamber for the Council of Counts. 

In the initial ceremonies to the Council, the Delegates chose their House Colors; drew in a lottery to select what offices they'd have in the castle; selected their house symbols - matters that their wives had negotiated between themselves over the preceding years. The current Formal Dress uniform (Blue and Red, with two swords) was proposed by a coterie of Women; designed to flatter their husbands and signal what political group they were allied with. Other cliques chose other Dress uniforms - (Blue and Gray for some, Green and Brown for another - example are on display in the Museum collection).

The conference adopted, with little debate, most of the proposals Gregor had circulated. The proposal that the Family Vorbarra would administer unclaimed lands was initially not approved; as it made the family much more powerful than any other; the matter was tabled for another sessions (At the time, each Count oversaw the land outside the formal boundaries of his district, mainly to prevent fires or the establishment of bandit camps. unofficial borders existed, often twenty kilometers from the formal border, or equidistant between district boundaries.)

One proposal that was offered by Count Vorinnis was that all the districts represented in this Council were to offer equal and favorable terms to all other member in trade and finance; turning the Districts into a common economic zone. While they did not form a solid geographic block; quite a number bordered others. Trade between districts was important - the Agricultural districts exchanged with Ranching districts, and everyone traded with the industrial districts. Taxes and levies were a major source of revenue to the Counts; this proposal would tie the Districts who were represented in the Council to each other - and disadvantage all who were not attending. This was adopted, with some changes, on the last day of the Council.

No mention was made of military or militia matters; the gathered Counts refused to authorize the creation of a wide-ranging common military force - that could be used on them. A 'Palace Guard' was formed, to protect Vorhartung Castle - the precursor to the current guard - and all agreed to fund it. The Members of the Council intended to keep the Council separate from the Family Vorbarra; which, in private, pleased Count Gregor. They authorize a small force to patrol the major roads, and protect the Postal Service stations.

The Council approved a fund to maintain the Castle, it's guard force, and a formal Executive staff. They approved of the existing Treasury and Mint system, and established a semi-independent Judiciary; which was subordinate to a select committee of the Council. Coin and Currency from the Mint was accepted as the preferred form of exchange; with an allowance for the issuance of local specie - but the exchange rate was set by the Mint. 

In the end, a formal system of government was created for the Colony; rigid in it's protection of the Count's right and power to run their District as they wished, but with room to flex and grow as needed. The delegates had the advice and experience of three thousand years of political history from Earth and the other colonies; Count Vorbarra maintained his political preeminence; but was only one of many Counts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This has been a hard chapter to write; political theory is a _bitch_ to make interesting. 
> 
> Count Gregor Vorbarra is _not_ Emperor; he's the leader of the most organized faction in the Council; and will control most of the Executive Branch departments that were authorized. His control of the mint and Treasury gives him extreme power; and he'll be using that to get his way.
> 
> The gathered Counts formed a common Economic block; regularizing taxes, duties, and the like; along with an agreement that they wouldn't wage war on each other - not without bringing the disagreement tot he Council for settlement first. They did agree to a mutual aide pact; for emergencies and in case they were attacked; but no formal army or common militia was formed.
> 
> It was better organized than the Articles of Confederation the American Colonies had adopted, but not as robust as the Constitution that was adopted later. The number of 'Gentleman's Agreements' created to prevent conflict were few in total - this was a more formal system than the 'Constitution' of the Kingdoms of England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. 
> 
> I made the list of Counts that attended at semi-random; using the list of known Vor names on the Vorkosigan Wiki site (many thanks to them for the resource!). Yep, I added in some ringers; I can, and I did! If a house had obnoxious color combinations, they shouldn't be included - those were the sods who came late and got stuck with the dregs of the available color palate. Told Ya! 
> 
> Next week - Sex Scandals in the Castle! (maybe).


	23. Sex in Vorhartung Castle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You haven't been waiting for this.... But you're getting it anyway.

OK.....

Sex in Vorhartung Castle......

There isn't any.

Officially, there isn't any hanky-panky inside it's walls, just as no-one dies in the Castle. It's not allowed. 

Period.

Mortally wounded people get moved (in the past, sometimes dragged, leaving a trail of blood and loose organs) to the gatehouse, where the formal declaration of death is made. The cleaning staff then starts scrubbing and polishing the woodwork, making minor repairs is needed. Investigators collect evidence, and the Keeper of the Circle starts to select an accusatory panel to investigate the mayhem related to the death.

Simple, really.

Sex and licentiousness doesn't happen in the Castle - if someone says that Count So-and-so was seen swiving a cleaning maid; well, they were wrong. SEX DOESN'T HAPPEN in the CASTLE.

That's the official story. 

(What goes on in the private quarters of the Hartung/Vorbarra Family is exempt from this rule; several kids have been started in those parts of the building. THAT sex is completely acceptable.)

Beyutt...

Giving birth isn't Sex (say what?); according to the Keeper of the Speakers' Circle. Over the centuries, several dozen infants have been delivered in the building; most memorably during the debate on allowing cross-border shipments of human waste for Terraforming purposes. Lady Majoe Vorcastle was in the onlooker's gallery, when her water broke; Count Vorsimone, a noted horse breeder, ran to the Ladies aid, delivering the new Lord Vorcastle as the debate raged on. 

The new Lord Vorcastle eventually inherited his father's seat; and paid to replace the bench in the viewer's gallery with one that marked his arrival.

Count Vorinnis, in CY 458, fought a duel on the Castle grounds to deny a claim he'd been seen with his hand under the dress of a cleaning maid; he defended his honor by defeating Lord Vormuir. 

What happens behind the closed doors of a Count's office is sacrosanct. Rumors of wild, lascivious parties, and wild orgies are rife; involving many of the Counts and houses; with rumors constantly in motion in the Gentleman's clubs in the city. When Count Vormiller suddenly died at his desk; some bystanders claimed that a certain 'Maiden Molly' had fled the office screaming; yet no responsible witness had heard the screams, nor could this "Maiden Molly' be found among the staff.

The recent declaration of Marriage between Lord Miles Vorkosigan and Lady Ekatarine Vorsoisson in the Council chamber is the fifth known such in the history of the council. The first was in CY 262, between Count Arnold Vorobyev and Lady Honorea Vorbataille; the wedding took place two months later in the small conference room in the Castle. 

Again; officially, Sex doesn't happen in the Castle. 

That being said; a common challenge between the young Sirs and Bucks during the opening of the Council is to have a young woman's chastity IN the Castle; Ideally in the Council Chamber itself. This is constantly rumored as happening - with a constant mix of who did what to whom, when, and where. Some claim to have dallied intimately with a partner in the visitor's gallery during open session; While there is record that the Guardian of the Circle has ordered the removal of couples from the Gallery for 'Disturbing the Serenity of the Chamber'; no formal charges have ever been levied. 

Such behavior on the perimeter wall around the Castle is common and well known; the perimeter pathway on the wall is twisted and kinked for tactical purpose; providing many nooks and corners that visitors can have a surprising amount of privacy. In three separate lawsuits concerning paternity and bastardry; Ladies and Men have admitted to complete intimacy with partners on the Castle Walls. The Forth Count Vordroza was conceived, by his mother's admission, in the southeastern corner tower of the perimeter wall.

Losing a political argument, and being 'F%%Ked' as a result, isn't considered sex; just normal life in and among the Counts.


	24. The ball is rolling....

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gregor Vorbarra gets the show moving... somewhat.

Political systems and machines aren't built; they grow. Politics is defined by people working together; and using different tactics to get the results they want. Gregor Vorbarra's aim was to create a system that left him, and his heirs, in charge, and allowed room for political motion in all other matters.

Gregor's organization was for the Council of Counts to be officially in charge, but for the Counts to delegate to the Executive everything not directly involving the operation of the Districts. He already controlled the Mint - and in extension the Treasury; by tradition the Central government had set standards for public works, such as road and bridge construction, that was easy to grab. The Education system had used supplies, books and teaching plans, created or approved by a committee descended from the original Education mandate. that was almost automatically swept into his control.

The Council was intended to have oversight of the Executive and the Courts; but with fewer than thirty percent of the Counts attending the initial meeting, the political basis of Gregor's council was weak. He had tradition on his side; but if twenty six counts gathered somewhere else; forming their own Congress; the result would be catastrophic.

Of the Counts that attended this Council; Gregor could count on the support of twelve; knew that seven would oppose him, and the rest would need persuasion - or bribery. What he hadn't expected was delegates that arrived late, after the initial sessions; who did not want to attend, but asked to observe to make reports back to their Counts. Gregor saw that these observers could be the lever he needed to sway the uncommitted; and by including those eight observers in the tally of attendees, he had over one-third of the existing Counts in attendance - in some form. That was a slim basis of legitimacy; but it was sufficient.

His proposed charter was adopted, in main form. The Council agreed to allow delegates to be recognized in forming a quorum; and several permanent committees were formed; Judiciary oversight, Tax policy, Trade policy, and Militia coordination. Departments of Trade, Standards, Civil Works, and a Treasury were authorized; under the supervision (when the Council wasn't in session) of the Senior Administrator - with Gregor Vorbarra being elected to that post. 

Gregor had what he wanted - a formal structure for a colony wide government, agreed on by a sufficient margin to be legitimate, and a free hand to create the administrative state that he would head. The members of the council had agreed that they wouldn't fight between themselves, but bring conflicts to the Council for settlement, and that if any member was attacked, they could call on all other members for assistance. Trade conflicts would be brought to the Council, initially to the permanent committee on trade; with the entire Council confirming the final settlement. 

Everything else - assigned to Departments and Agencies that Gregor would create as was needed.

Gregor had what he wanted; Control of the administration of the Colony's trade, currency, and (effectively) it's military.


	25. What's underneath?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Cellars, Undercrofts, Bunkers, and Caverns of the Castle.

When the original business center was built, the architects were told to make provision for survival bunkers under Novo Salamis; in case of violent weather, asteroid impacts, or other unforeseeable catastrophes. As the city was built, several caverns were dug, on both sides of the river, to provide safe storage of emergency supplies, and as refuges in the case of emergencies. On the Residence side, the caverns were constructed under land currently used by the University; they use the vaults as secure storage on much of the library, and to hold important documents for the government.

Under Vorhartung Castle are three large caverns, a 500 thousand liter water cistern, and a series of undercrofts and basements directly under the building itself. The Caverns, one thousand meters by fifty meters, by thirty meters tall; and arranged in a stepped fashion, all offset horizontally to prevent too much overlap of the main chambers. Not much has been revealed about the caverns; except that there are stairways and ramps between them; and they are divided into sections for fire and flood safety.

The uppermost cavern is known to be the location of the main wine and spirit cellar for the Council; holding more than 500 thousand bottle of many different vintages. This cavern is the main cold store and freezer for the Castle; holding supplies for the day to day operation of the Castle's kitchens, but also holding foodstuffs for emergency use. Supplies are rotated constantly with the storage cellars directly underneath the Castle, that the kitchens and messes draw from daily; to keep the supply caches fresh. The most recent archives of the Council are on this level, as those documents are most likely to be needed during sessions and committee meetings. 

The middle cavern hold older documents, not as commonly called on; along with several strong rooms for especially valuable objects. The original samples of all coins and currency are stored here, along with die and printing plates. The 'Crown Jewels' are not stored here, they are the private property of the Monarch, and are stored at the Residency.

During the recent emergency when the Imperial Security Service Headquarters was made unusable, many of it's documents were transferred, temporarily, to this repository. It is certain that once the new headquarters is finished, those documents will be transferred back to those vaults. 

The lowest cavern is used for long term storage of emergency supplies, and various mechanical equipment needed by the Castle. Originally, there was a large electrical generator complex, including a vast fuel storage bunker; after the second year of fire, with the collapse of the public infrastructure that supplied fuel, the Generating station of mothballed and left in darkness. There is a ramp system that directly links this cavern to the lands east of the Castle; to supply the fuel bunkers and provide access to the Cavern for the emergency equipment cached there. 

During Ezar 12, the Generating station was explored by the engineering and historian staff of Vorbarr University; it was found to be in excellent condition, and was put back to use, as a test, in Ezar 25. The station is an Imperial Engineering Monument; but access is limited to tours arranged only thru the Vorbarr Sultana University Engineering Department in collusion with the Department of History to credentialed academics. (There is a TriVid of the exploration and recovery of the power plant, copies are available in the Gift Shop and is available the the University's History Museum's cinema.)

The undercrofts and cellars directly under the Castle contain the Strong rooms; that hold the official inventory of all Count's Banners and insignia; the State Silver and Plate - which is separate from the Imperial Plate, owned by the Vorbarra family itself. there are Storage rooms for the kitchens and dining rooms; and offices of castle staff. The Offices of the Imperial Accountants and Financial Staff are next to the Strong rooms - as they were directly responsible for the contents - in a warren of tight, cramped rooms. 

The kitchens for the different dining and restaurants in the Castle are in this uppermost Undercroft; a collection of different kitchens for each type of food preparation. The Bakery can produce fifteen thousand loaves of bread a day; the Creamery has freezers and mixers to produce ice creams and sherbets - as well as ice sculptures and other foods needing cold - daily. Together, the kitchen complex employs over three thousand. 

On that level are the cold and warm storage rooms for the kitchens; for the multitude of fresh ingredients needed every day by the cooking staff. Much of the fresh produce, and the majority of the dairy, comes from farms owned and operated by the Castle itself; as part of Camp Alpha, the security force for the Castle Complex. Deliveries occur daily; from wholesalers in the City; being licensed to supply the Castle and the Residence allows a merchant to display a seal of authority and appointment to the Council and the Emperor. 

Most of the basements and cellars are used for storage of office equipment and staff offices; busy with personnel constantly moving to keep the Castle and Council in operation. These floors are out of bounds to the general public; the operation of the bureaucracy isn't something to be observed!

The Castle and Council Post Office is in the undercroft; one of the few places the public is allowed to enter. Letters mailed from this post station have a distinct stamp; valued by philatelists and an ideal souvenir of a visit. the main Post Office is modern, but a few rooms are kept in the old, Time of Isolation fashion, as a historical monument. 

There are no Dungeons under the Castle; cells to hold miscreants and those arrested on the Castle grounds were under the main Gate House. From there, the City Guarda would take the prisoners to the City Prison, for recording and imprisonment. Counts and Count's heirs, who were called to trial in the Council, could stay in apartments in the Main Gate House, or, if parole was granted, at their family holdings in Vorbarra Sultana. Non-Vor would be held in the City Prison, brought to the Castle daily during the trial. 

Only a few executions were every held inside the Castle grounds. The Council assigned that task to the Emperor - or the Emperor agreed to act as executioner for the Council - and the majority of executions took place in the Grand Square. The few executions committed at the Castle were performed during the bloodiest years of the Time of Isolation; the condemned were simply thrown off the parapets of the Castle Walls into the river gorge - a drop of over eighty meters. Those few were Castle staff who had committed major felonies against the Council and it's staff; not against the Emperor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It struck me as I wrote this that there would be a system of "By Appointment To" in existence on Barrayar. Merchants would have to be vetted before they could do business with the Emperor or the Council - receiving a warrant from the Residence, or the Castle. 
> 
> I expect Siegling's has one....
> 
> The Vorkosigan Winery and Meadery has one from the Residence, and the Castle.... to be sure!
> 
> Anyone else who'd have one? Maybe the Koudelka Lettuce and Cauliflower Wholesale Co?
> 
> ==========
> 
> Henri Vorvolk's office is described by Herself as being cramped and in the basement of the Castle; he's a financial officer. So, where do I put the Finance office? In the basement, next to the strong room.... just as Herself said..!


	26. The ball rolls...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things get boring as Gregor and the Council start working.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm restarting this - a New Years Day present to you!

With the adoption of the Vorbarra family as the permanent Executive leader of the Colony, and the formation of the Council, the political life of the colony started. Gregor was busy starting all the government departments he needed, his wife started the social season, and everyone's kids were in school.

The Counts who had neglected to join the Council maintained representatives in Vorbarr Sultana, and the trading and brokerage companies slowly restarted their business. Five years elapsed before 'normalcy' was restored, and trade was back to pre-revolt levels.

Gregor waited; the Counts who remained independent would, in time, join the Council. The time, and the means for that, depended on those Counts.

The Colony was a geographic mix of allied Districts, and Independent ones. There were a mix of Government and civil organizations present; from the near anarchy of the Vordarian (Burya) District, with its roving bands of 'Tribes' that sustained themselves as itinerant ranchers, to the Tyrannical semi-slavery of the Vorcollins mining and smelting holdings. The independent Districts accepted little authority outside their borders, minting their own currency, raising other Districts as they pleased. Perhaps the only outside organization respected universally was the Road and Trail Engineers, who concentrated on maintaining the roads, bridges, and waterways of the Continent, and the Postal service. 

The Colony Post, messengers who kept messages flowing, were sacrosanct. The post stations and riders were held to high regard by everyone; bandit groups that robbed Post Riders were hunted down without mercy; much as the Road Teams were inviolate. 

The 'Colony' militia, organized and authorized by the Council, began to maintain a regular presence on every road the Post used; the traveling cavalry platoons and companies moved from post to post, on a regular rotation, claiming authority for half a kilometer from the centerline of the road, away from the boundaries of established towns and cities. The patrols would not engage in civil disputes, or conflicts between districts that were not part of the Council; but no fighting within the protected strip, or damage to the roads, was tolerated. Attacks on Post Stations or riders would always be avenged by the Colony Militia, if the local authorities failed. 

The majority of the Colony wasn't part of the Council, only twenty five Districts were members for a decade after, and few of those aborted. The majority of the Districts stayed in a state of semi-war with their neighbors, conflicts over boundaries, water rights, grazing and timber rights, authority to terraform; or one District leader disliked another. Most Districts maintained militias, a mix of civic police, personal bodyguard, Company police, and Army. The best most could maintain was a few platoons of infantry, and one or two squadrons of Cavalry. 

Most of the troops had swords, pikes, Lances, maces, or clubs, with little armor. Ancient flak jackets, or armor from before the Years of Fire, were reserved for officers and leaders. Low grade metalworking was available everywhere, so horses were shod, and what a blacksmith could make equipped the local forces.

This was less than two hundred years from the first Year of Fire, the re-industrialization of the Colony was continuing. The Districts of the Council had an advantage; they cooperated in developing and spreading new technology, providing them an advantage in development. Some of the Independent Districts formed alliances; less formal, always contentious. The huge distances between the farthest Districts (From the western boundary of Vorrutyers land to the Eastern coast was over five thousand kilometers!) meant that, on foot or horseback, it could take months for anything to travel to all parts of the Colony. 

So was the state of the Colony, a mixed collection of local governments, industries, and rulers. Little bound them; each ruling family or group rigidity maintained their independence; existence was fractious, but not chaotic.

So, years passed....


	27. The Power Bill - unpaid, account sent to collections.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Why did it take so long to rebuild the industrial base?

Modern societies depend on easily obtained power, at very low cost. The most common method of moving power about is via electricity; Plasma transmission is limited to special applications, such as in industrial plants or onboard spaceships. Electric power lines crossing the landscape are still the most common way of providing electricity over long distances, and then distributing it to homes and businesses. 

The colony on Barrayar was planned and built to use electricity; dozens of fusion and fission plants were installed in every district to supply power to the residents, and the industrial base. some hydro-power, wind turbine, and solar plants were built and under construction; then the First of the Years of Fire happened.

The EMP blast destroyed much of the power transmission infrastructure; the power pulse caused the transmission lines to glow white hot, and melt; the electrical substations caught fire and melted - and the generating plants themselves had to do emergency shutdowns to protect themselves. Industrial machinery was damaged; along with much of the IT machinery. 

The Colony dropped to a critically low level in an instant. Even fiber optic cables were damaged, many of the glass fibers were coated in metal films, and those films melted the fibers, destroying them. 

There were stores of equipment in stock; available to replace much of what had been destroyed; intended for new construction. The stock was used to replace much of the equipment that was damaged. Once the supply of power was restored, it would be possible to make new generators, transformers, and line gear, to continue the development of the Colony - given time.

That was planned, and being done when, five years later, the second Year of Fire hit. This time there were no spares - and little chance to build the equipment needed.

The Colony depended on the power from the nuclear plants; since the planet had no easily reached hydrocarbon reserves. There was no coal, petroleum, natural gas - not on the Northern continent. Orbital surveys showed reserves under the oceans; but there was not deep water drilling equipment available. 

The local plants were not easily usable as a source of fuel; the body of the plants contained multiple toxins. Burning them released toxic smoke. There were no equivalent to Terran hardwoods; no pine, oak, no chestnut or spruce. The huge forests we now know were yet to be planted; the few hundred hectares of woods planted were not yet ready for harvesting - and the wood was in demand to build houses; for domestic use, not for industrial.

The colony was caught in another resource trap - deciding what to do with a very limited resource. 

The ingenuity of the Colonists was stretched to impossible limits - if the smoke of the native plants was toxic - then build furnaces that would re-combust the smoke, to destroy the poisons, and gain a few extra ergs of heat. Metal ores were plentiful; and some industrial equipment could be adapted to manual operation - slow, tedious, but effective. Soon, steam boilers were created; to power reciprocating engines - falling back to the earliest machinery of the Terran Industrial Revolution. Water wheels were built, to turn shafts - to grind grain, or to drive line shaft systems to power lathes, milling machines, shapers, planes, drills - the core machines of a machine shop. 

Water wheels drove blowers for smelters; to roast and melt ores to make liquid metal that could be cast into ingots and intricate shapes in molds. Slowly, Barrayar worked its way up through the industrial revolution; slow, limited steps upward through the Age of Isolation. 

At the time of discovery, the Colony, united by Dorca, was finally producing steam engines for railways, and machining technology was beginning to produce electrical equipment and supplies to bring electricity to the largest cities. The forests could supply wood for coking plants, and to produce water gas, for city use; cities were being retro-fitted with gas lines to supply homes and businesses - and major improvement over wood.

Then came the women from the sky....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I direct your attention to the American Precision Museum (https://americanprecision.org/) in Windsor Locks, Vermont, USA, for examples of what the colonists re-created to crawl back from the Years of Fire. 
> 
> James Burkes' series 'Connections' is a good exploration of why it took so long for the Colony to recover. They'd been shoved into the technological past, and had to recreate the basics that supported _EVERYTHING_.


	28. Beginnings of confusion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The start of the bloody centuries.

Gregor Vorbarra had control of little; he wasn't emperor, or overlord; he was the permanent head of the Executive branch of the Colony government, and Leader of the (incomplete) Council of Counts. The Council at it start represented about a third of the existing Counts; with the observers who were present - and able to 'remark and converse' on the business of the Council in informal ways, less than two thirds of the existing counts were included. 

Most Counts wanted to rule their territories without review or oversight; or preferred to join only with their neighbors and closest trading partners. Regional factions formed; or zaibatsus formed to create monopolies in products. After two hundred and fifty years, much of the norther continent was unused - much not explored! The Southern continent was available, once decent sailing ships were built. District Counts considered themselves Kings; Princes at the least; monarchs of the lands they ruled. They refused to join the Council, seeing that as a reduction on their political power. 

Gregor and his closest companions sat in conference; they were to limited in power to force an uncooperative count to join; but - eventually - Counts would ask to join, to gain the protection of a political group that could protect them against their enemies....

This was the status Quo for decades; very slowly, counts who had been bested in combat with other Counts came to the Council to ask admission; Gregor welcomed them - and his Sons in turn did the same. In seventy five years the roll of the Counts in Council had grown from twenty five to forty five; including now the majority of the districts as members. There were many very rich and powerful Districts that refused to join the Council; allied in their own way in opposition.

The Bloody Centuries of conflict begin in CY 300; when the first reliable source of colony made steel was forged. After the first steel billets were made in the Duquest District, other forges began to create steel and cast iron in quantity. With this, all types of tools could be made - shovels, axes, plowshares, saws - and swords that would hold an edge, armor; spears and pikes. Clubs and staffs were replaced by fiercer implements of war.

The Colony population was still, in real terms, small. The majority of the population was needed to clear land; terraforming and grading the soil, planting and tending crops, or overseeing livestock. the terraforming crews were organized in semi-military ranks; the work was tedious and repetitive; small work crews gathering into larger units, with support groups to distribute food, seeds, produce seedlings; paramilitary in nature. The Districts were not run solely by the primary family; the ordinary operation was divided across hundreds of smaller landowners; who depended on regional and district chiefs for Civil Organization. The Count had to confer with his subordinates to manage the lands of the District; no single family was responsible for all that happened in a territory.

At this time, there were seventy five recognized districts; spread across the wide expanse of the north continent. The mountain chains divided the landmass into four distinct regions; the Eastern Seaboard, the Northern Plains, the Southern plains and seaboard, and the wide Central plains between the end of the Central mountain spine and the Western hills. The Districts in the Council were found in every zone; some isolated, some gathered into blocks with fellow council members. the only links these independent majesties had to link them were the Postal Service, and the Road and Bridge Mandate - and, hidden in the economy, the Mint and Treasury operated by the Vorbarras. 

Men and women desire, are greedy; make demands, from this comes conflict. Soon after the production of high grade steel came orders for swords, axes, and spearheads; as Counts saw that now, when few could get good steel, opportunity for conquests were ready. The Terraforming crews could be come infantry, a Cavalry formed from messengers and second sons; and so to march to war. 

Three hundred years of peace ended; with the forging of a hundred swords of fresh made steel.


	29. The Building, Itself.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 30k words about Vorhartung Castle and less than a hundred about the building itself... typical, for academics!

The original building was not named 'Vorhartung Castle'; it was called Colony House, or Operations Headquarters, The Dunning Building.

"Dunning" referred to the current chairman of the Terran United Nations when the Colony was authorized; a politeness offered to satisfy a political faction inside the UN. The Residence was titled the 'Xiabin-wa' Conference Center, after the leader of the UN Commission on Extra-Terran Colonization Programs.

The other buildings planned for Novo Salamis had similar, tribute-based names. Politicians will honor other politicians, given a chance.

Colony house was designed to be within a walled compound, enclosing nine hundred sixty hectares of land as a rectangle of land, 1200 meters by 800 meters, inclusive of the perimeter wall. The building was roughly centered in the compound, comprising a square building five hundred meters on a side, with an adjoining parking garage of five hundred meters by two hundred meters. There was a twenty five meter gap between the two structures, together they spanned eight hundred meters by five hundred meters of enclosed space. 

The main building was four and a half stories high, approximately fifty meters tall; the parking garage was thirty meters tall, with the top level open to the sky. Several covered walkways connected the two structures, linking differing floors. 

The center of the main building was an open atrium, one hundred meters on a side; inside the atrium were tables and benches, several food carts, and access to several dining halls. After twenty years, the atrium was covered with a tent; to deflect rain and snow to make the space usable at any time of the year. The land was shaped and formed into a gently rolling shape, creating several small hollows to make speaking hollows. the soil was fully terraced, and covered with Bermuda grass; with small flower beds scattered throughout the space. 

When Terran birds were released into the biosphere, in about CY 35, they quickly learned about the atrium, a place where they could easily obtain food and water. This caused a problem; for sanitary reasons. The fabric cover was replaced with a metal mesh, sealing the atrium , and several garden patches were established on the roof of the building as alternative feeding and watering spots. People soon started using those spots as rest spots, forcing their expansion into formal recreation spaces. These spots are still being used, six hundred years later, by the occupants of Vorhartung Castle. 

The original plan of the building was for it to be covered in black or bronze colored glass; laid at a slight angle to encourage rain to flow down the outside, cleaning the surface. around the perimeter of the building was installed a french drain of crushed rock and pebbles, to catch and divert the flow into the storm sewer system. Outside of the drains was a grass margin, two meters wide, then a concrete walking path also two meters wide. an additional grass median extended a meter, then a curb and the road surrounding the building. 

The main entrance to the building was on the Western side, in line with the main gatehouse archway. On the eastern side are several smaller entrances, and on the south side were doors in line with paths from the parking garage. The northern face had only a few doors, all for emergency and delivery use. 

Large deliveries to the building are made at a receiving building on the northwestern side of the compound, built into the perimeter wall. Underground passages linked the reception building to the sub basements of Colony house; to allow for security checks and efficient dispatch. This is still in use today. 

The structure of the building is steel girders, coated in thermal insulation, supporting sheet steel panels that are covered with concrete to form the basic levels of the building. Plumbing and electric services are built into the maintenance space just below the floor panels, as was the standard architectural practice of the day. The girders and steel panels were constructed on Earth, and shipped in two complete moves to the colony in CY 10. the concrete was from quarries and plants that were among the first industrial operations operating in the colony.

The inner partitions and walls were constructed using sheet gypsum wallboard and steel struts, also the product of some of the earliest products of the colony. The plumbing fixtures were (mostly) supplied from Escobar and Beta colony; the piping and mechanical fixtures were a mix on home built and imports from Komarr, Eta Ceta, and Escobar. Electrical fixtures came form the same varied sources; shifting to colony built as local production increased. 

The air handling equipment was all from Escobar, except for the sheet metal ducting, with was locally produced. 

The outer glass sheathing was produces on Beta colony, as they was just begun large scale production of structural glass. It was shipped in multiple tranches, and took two years to finally allow the building to be completely covered. 

The inner layout of the building was slowly defined as the differing companies arrived and defined how much office space they needed. Colony house was intended to hold only the company executives and their staffs; the bulk of the company would be at their main compounds in what would become the Caravanserai. The general layout of the floors, the location of elevator shafts, stairways, and sanitary facilities had been set during the initial design of the building at the Architects, Kwai, Arnold, Chung and Donal, of Kuala Lumpur, Malay Peoples Republic. 

The original building gave good service for fifty years; but in CY 55 the deficiencies of the altered conditions of the colony, due to the loss of access to the Nexus, and the loss of technology caused by the Years of Fire, made a major rebuild of the structure mandatory.

The main problem came from the lack of heating and cooling, and the lack of water due to the loss of electric power. Various ad-hoc fixes had been installed to replace the electrical service from the one remaining fission power plant available; that plant was coming to the end of it's normal lifespan, and no replacement was possible. There was no replacement possible by building a steam boiler to supply the turbines and generators; the turbines themselves needed overhauls that were impossible to perform.

The solution was to gut major portions of the building, and install chimneys and cisterns, altering the inner fabric of the building. The outer glass had to be removed, and windows, to allow airflow into the building, had to be added. 

It was possible to add a small steam plant to pump water up from the river, and then into the treatment plant, and then into cisterns around the building; Several hydraulic ram pumps could fill the raw water cisterns to feed the water treatment plant, using no energy except the flow of the river itself - those pumps are still in operation today, needing little maintenance since they were constructed and installed five hundred years before.

The interior of the building was partially gutted, to install chimneys for groups of fireplaces. The outer wall was rebuilt with a mix of slate and granite slabs, mixed with windows for ventilation. 

This arrangement is still in use. Several times additional internal rebuilding has occurred; mainly to the support and service sections. The kitchens and cold stores have been changed several times, as additional room was needed for storage of wood and ice. 

During the Bloody Centuries, only minor changes were made to the Castle, some internal rework, and repairs as needed. There were few periods of combat around Vorbarr Sultana that touched the Castle, most repairs came from domestic accidents, such as fires from candles and lamps.

The next major changes happened when the Time of Isolation ended. Emperor Dorca invited engineers and architects to Barrayar to force start the modernization of the planet. The first major addition were new power plants, and the needed infrastructure to spread the power thru Vorbarr Sultana. The Castle was speedily refitted with modern environment support equipment, and the kitchens and food stores were rebuilt to modern galactic standards.

Then the Cetagandans came.

The invasion wasn't a screaming assault from the sky, it was a slower, many secret and subtle actions. The Cetans offered massive help to the Colony, sending thousands of technicians and engineers, hundreds of doctors and medical staff, and thousands of tonnes of supplies. The Cetas spread themselves across the planet, setting up camps and support centers in every district. They started multiple engineering and social projects, insinuating themselves into every local government. 

They were friendly, helping, curious visitors - until a third wave of transports arrived in orbit.

Suddenly, Districts that had been pacified and made to join the Council of Counts rose in rebellion; the local troops armed with modern Ceta-made weapons. The local imperial garrisons were overrun; Vorbarr Sultana was invaded. The Emperor and his family escaped with little but what they were wearing, many Counts were trapped in their residences, only escaping using tunnels and routes devised during the Bloody Centuries. 

With the Emperor at large, the Cetas controlled Vorbarr Sultana. The rulers of the Ninth Satrapy, as the Ceta Invaders, called themselves, started to reform the city as they wanted. 

From documents found in the Ladderbeck Close cache, they intended to alter the entire city to match, as much as they could, to Eta Ceta. Vorhartung Castle was to be replaced; replaced by a complex similar to the Celestial Garden.

When news of this spread, it unified the native population in a deep, comprehensive way. Emperor Dorca used this as the centerpiece of his resistance to the Cetas - what other ways would they 'rebuild' the entire society? Dorca, and Yuri, built on this to unify the Vor and Prole communities against the Cetas. Even Counts that desired independence from Dorca and Yuri knew that the Cetas would give them even less independence. 

The Cetas retreated from their plans to replace the Castle, instead they gutted the interior and rebuilt it to modern standards. They 'consulted' with the Counts that were friendly to them, in making the alterations to the building. The sets of chimney stacks were left in place, forming cable and plumbing access ways. The kitchens, restaurants, and food service areas were rebuilt. The inner plumbing services were entirely replaced, to the satisfaction of everyone involved. 

The two parts of the building that were not altered were the chambers for the Counts and the Ministers. They chambers had been reconstructed during the reign of the first Emperor, Xav, and held deep symbolic meaning to all Barrayarans. 

Once the Cetans departed, most of the 'improvements ' made by the Cetans were removed, mainly cosmetic items of decor and symbology. The real upgrades they had done were appreciated, both to the Castle and the Colony. Most would have been done, in time, as funds allowed.


	30. Bloody History, repeated

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Bloody centuries; compacted.

The Bloody Centuries, from CY 300 to the end of the Time of Isolation, saw the development of most of the social and cultural norms we live with today. The power of the Counts was reinforced; with bloodshed, within and without the Districts. The power of the Vor class was imposed, then adopted as a way to organize society; The Vor became the skeleton of social life in the Colony. On top were the Vorbarra family, and the first twenty five Counts; as the core of the Colony Government. Next were the thirty five Counts and Districts that joined the Council, in a slow accretions. Dorca forced the last dozen Counts to join, by waging destructive war on them led by his best and most savage general, Count Pierre "Le Sanguinaire" Vorrutyer. (1)

The Counts enforced the supremacy of the Vor Caste by favoring families who supported them in combat and commerce with the privilege of becoming members of the Vor Order. Once a member of the Vor, a family had an increased social ranking, opportunities for favored trade with other Districts, automatic rank if called into the military; and responsibility to assist other Vor ahead of other people. Vor supported Vor, but listened to the voices of the common Population. Most Vor were in business, as farmers, ranchers, merchants, or professional people. Less than 20% would be in the Military - and only 3% were Counts or political leaders. 

The Vor system survived because it _worked._ People need a stable society to organize and support each other - to provide a stable currency for trade; the recognition of weddings, deaths, births, and ownership of property. With little national leadership, the Vor acted to define social stability. What they -did- set the rules of life - in Law, in trade, in property rights. 'What the Vor Do' became the common law of the Colony. The Counts were responsible for the organization of the District, and they employed Vor to do the daily work of ordinary business.

During these years, the Castle was under siege twice. It, and Vorbarr Sultana, were to large to completely encircle. With the city split by the bluffs, and bisected by the Barr river, a complete enclosure of the city was infeasible. Only two invaders managed to isolate the city; one siege was ended by a counter-force that drove the invaders away in the face of a massive snowstorm; the other blockade was broken by a naval attack led by Emperor and Count Vlad Vorbarra on the river at the Star Bridge, fracturing the alliance that had imprisoned the city.

Hostile troops did reach the perimeter wall of the Castle several times; no forces breached the wall, tho some small raiding parties did scale the walls. Only a few managed to get inside, to no advantage. 

The Castle garrison, from Fort Apfel, usually worked in tandem with the Vorbarra Guard to defend the city. The Castle Guard holding the north side of the river, adjacent to Fort Apfel and the Castle, the Vorbarra Guard protecting south of the river. 

In emergencies, the practice was for the Garrison to move into the walls, bringing as many stores and animals as possible, denying all that could be rescued from the invaders. With the garrison inside the grounds, the walls were staffed at all times, with reinforcements at immediate call. The walls were proof against the few cannons in existence, trebuchets or catapults were a minor threat. 

The renewed outer skin of the Castle was a mix of granite and slate, mostly impervious to rocks and missiles from catapults. The few times the building was damaged from such, repairs were made quickly. 

Most of the fighting during the Bloody Centuries happened at distance from the Capital, as Count fought Count for local dominance. Much of the fighting was not much more that oversized cattle raids, to steal supplies or people. Most of the population was dedicated to agriculture; war was between Vor, not yeomen. 

The final big battles of the Time of Isolation were to force the capitulation of five Districts to Emperor Dorca's rule. The fighting was led by a joint command between Dorca and Count Pierre " Le Sanguinaire" Vorrutyer; with several subordinates who learned the trade of war in these campaigns: Vorkosigan, Vorkraft, Vorinnis, Vorparadjis. 

With the defeat, and supplication of the Vorarnold District, Dorca had dominion over the entirety of the Colony, excepting the remote outposts on the Western Coast. Those two groups sent embassies to Vorbarr Sultana; to observe and remark, neither group was interested in involving itself in the politics of the majority of the Colony. 

When the rediscovery happened, Dorca included, as best he could, those embassies in his negotiations with the explorers. Besides the radio station for Vorhartung Castle, Dorca had stations delivered to the two West Coast settlements to begin their inclusion in the Colony as a whole.

At the rediscovery, Vorhartung Castle was a mix of very old, very new, and a collection of patch up and fix up. The inner skeleton was still the girders and beams from the earliest days, covered and recovered by a dozen different plans to adapt to the changes as centuries went past. From being powered by electricity, to the addition of fireplaces for wood fires, to the alterations as wood gas was piped in, then the refitting when electricity was restored after the end of Isolation, the building is, in its core, what Barrayar is - incredible on its skin, but tough and resilient in it's TRUE core.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (1) "Le Sanguinaire" used by kind permission of Count Dono Vorrutyer.


	31. The Senior Advisor Stikes Back!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Professora Vorthys has a few words....

To:  
Michael Vortanner  
Simone Vordumon  
Denise Mallow  
Olya Kyrilya

Subject: The History of Vorhartung Castle Tourist Book Project.

All:

Thank you for submitting the final draft of the guidebook on time. It needs some _major_ work; editing, layout, fact checking, and the addition of graphics. This isn't over for you yet!

#1: The text is too prolix; it can be rendered down into a much pithier text with a firm and violent hand on the editor's pencil. Be cruel, painful (to yourself, as you trim words you admire!) and harsh. The Museum managers want a text about 30% smaller than this, close in size to the existing text. The final page count should be no more than six more than the current, at the same font size and line spacing.

#2: The text demand better maps and graphics; spend a week going over the image library at the Museum and here in the University library. The map needs major work; all the districts mentioned in the text need to be indicated on the maps, along with district capitals, roads, rivers, bridges, and such. The South continent and archipelago need a single map, and a map for the West coast settlements. Professor Vorhubbard in the Department of Geospatial Studies will make time to help you create the maps you need. 

This needs maps of Vorbarr Sultana, Vorkosigan Vashnoi (to show what a blow the loss of the city was to the Colony as a whole), photos of everyone mentioned in the text, with captions. DO NOT FORGET THE ATTRIBUTIONS!

The Military Heraldic Office can help you with period accurate images of all house Insignia and mottoes. An illustration of the first dozen house colors and shields will be needed. 

#3: Collect all the mentions of the restaurant, museum store, and such trifles and remove them. The Museum will add a flyer mentioning these things. That Lord Ivan Vorpatril had a private visit to the caverns underneath the Castle, is amusing, but irrelevant. 

#4: This needs an introductory essay for the Museum Curator's signature, and an ending essay for the Archivist. These should thank the Counts and Council, and the Emperor for their current support and aide; thanking them for the privilege of managing the Museum. 

#5: A family tree for the Hartungs and the Vorbarras would be useful; from the founding to the end of the time of Isolation. A timeline of significant events would be advisable. Sections of family trees for the Vorkosigan, Vorhalas, Vorinnis, and any other families that are featured would be useful.

#6: Maps of the Castle are MANDATORY! They should show how the outline of the building has changed, with dated. An initial floor plan would be advisable; and one from a dozen years ago, to show the changes. A series of them, to illustrate the changes each era has made. might be a good two page spread.

#7: Get the official photo of the Emperor; it should be at the front of the volume. Use the one that has him in his 'Counts' Suit, not his military uniform. 

#8: The chapter on sex in the Castle can be ditched. Even (especially) in the edition tailored for Beta Colony.

#9: Once the text has been edited, start the translation work. Editions in (Galactic Standard) English, Spanish, French, Russian, Greek, German, Mandarin Chinese,Tagalog, Swedish, Swahili, Boer Dutch, Brazilian Portuguese, Vietnamese, Esperanto, and Unilang will be needed. This will need to be edited for an audio version; and adapted to the self-guided audio tour of the exhibits. 

#10: A proctor's guide will be needed, in it you can add all the things you've excised from the visitor's text. Additional explanations, and descriptions are needed, to brief the escorts and tour guides as they lead groups. Exhibits will need descriptions written, to supplement what the Curators have posted. The Museum staff can assist you in creating the needed texts, 

#11: Once the 'Final' text is created, it will be submitted to the Museum staff, the Royal Archivist, the Historical Review committee, the Office of the Emperor, the Superintendent of the Circle, and the Military Heraldic Department. Be prepared to answer their responses. 

#12: Remember to update the Table of Authorities, Table of Contents, Index, Table of Permissions, and all the other indices associated. Remember to proofread this; I suggest individually and in teams. You do NOT want The Emperor criticizing your spelling!

Good work!

Professora Helen Vorthys.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any Professional Academics who can suggest additional points - feel free to make suggestions! Grad Students _love_ advice, don't they?


	32. Coda

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone has a final word.

Konstantin, Count Hartung

The history of Hartung House, originally Colony House, is intermixed with the history - and existence - of this Colony. 

It was planned to be a neutral place, where the leaders of the distinct entities that sought to exploit the riches and resources of this planet would meet and plan in a peaceful, ordered, reasoned manner. The history of other colonies had many lessons of tragedies that came from the lack of communication and negotiation between Colonizing organizations. Colony house was to be a isolated place outside the political struggle that the Colonial Governor lived within.

The Hartung Family saw itself as a beacon of independent order; based on the role the family had played in establishing the Colony. The North American Continent was struggling to recover from the disasters of the Factional wars; the Hartung Family, being based in Boston, where the American Experiment had begun, saw that the same political experiment could be started on a new planet; where the idea of every man a sovereign would be allowed to flourish.

The American Colonies had been able to draw on the wealth and wisdom of the European continent; drawing supplies and manpower to the shores of the colonies; able to fund the development of the continent without stinting or being limited in the creation of new industries. 

Such was intended for this new colony; plans were for the colony to accept two hundred thousand from Earth itself; plus more from other colony worlds. The planet had resources aplenty, the land was fertile and easily converted to Terran crops. Public infrastructure was being built, roads, bridges, dams, power plants - nurseries for seeds, husbandry farms for livestock. On the planet were many outcroppings of ores and minerals; in the system's asteroids were many more. 

All seemed to be going well - the Nature bared her teeth and all plans were ripped to shreds.

The political goals for the Colony ended on the day the solar eruption struck the sky; the closure of the interstellar jump point was a lesser challenge. The destruction of the Colonies resources almost was the end of everything.

My ancestors provided the sole center for the survival and salvation for the Colony; leadership and plans for survival. The family led the Colony out of its apparent demise into a state of salvation; with difficulty, but without that leadership, this would have been an empty world with decaying concrete as the only sign of our presence.

The plan of the Colony changed; the aims of the Colonists changed as the resources altered; and so did Hartung House. The Colony was ripped and mended, so was the building. The colony adapted and improvised; such happened to the building that was to be the center of the colony.

Now, more then six hundred years from the laying of it's first foundation block; the Building is adapting to the restored technology that flooded back into our hands with our rediscovery. The Structure, intended to be the center of the colony, is _just that_; the place where everyone can come to speak and propose; to be heard, and to hear. 

The Barrie Family has carried the burden of guidance with forbearance and wisdom since they accepted the charge from my ancestors, honoring the agreement that was made in that time of tension and violence. Gregor Barrie agreed that, should his line falter, that the Hartungs would remain ready to step into the breach; to be a guide, if history and necessity demanded. 

Our old home; torn and altered, is still standing; serving the Colony; steadfast in a dream of a better future for all. It was built larger than it needed to be, knowing that the Colony would need more space for negotiations and conferences. With Komarr and Sergyar now added to the responsibilities for this monument to hope and ideals, it remains ready to see its world grow.

For Family Hartung;  
Konstantin

=======================

From: General Guy Allegre  
To: Professora Helen Vorthys

He wrote THIS?

Ezar would have had his arse in chains before the afternoon was over!

You don't plan to have this as the endpiece, do you?

Guy

===================  
From: Professora Helen Vorthys  
To: General Guy Allegre

He's got his opinion, doesn't he ;>?

I can't fault his political history; Gregor Vorbarra and Miles Hartung _did_ agree to the power swap, with an option to swap back if things went wrong. You have to read the really secret codices to know about that; you can read them yourself (as for index 33.456.aa.zz9921, be careful the document is fragile and it's not been imaged for archiving.)

I intend to confer with him to create a less inflammatory version; but I feel he, and his family, is due a chance to say their mind. This is a political document; and his _is_ the balancing view. 

While you're in the archives, you might look at the times Emperor Ezar chatted with Konstantin's Father about the succession.... and contingency plans concerning Serg. THAT will make this seem patriotic.

Helen

=====================  
From: Gregor  
To: Guy, Miles, Helen, Georg

I wasn't sipping a drink when I read K's coda.

Saved the Imperium the cost of a new keyboard.

Opinionated, isn't he?

Guy, let the Professora work on the man; from my talks with him Vorhartung Castle is a very hot topic for him and his family. He still feel it's 'His' house; temporarily taken under duress. I'm sure he'll settle down and provide a proper closing statement. 

Miles: You and Guy need to review the Ezar files on the Escobar Campaign. Take a few days.... and take lots of headache pills...

(Simon told me that one thing he was glad to lose with the removal of his chip was all he knew about Ges Vorrutyer. You'll discover what he meant...)

Georg; Invite K over to your workshop, he's an avid machinist. Introduce him to some of your miniature Monorail friends; he really need to meet more people. He's madly proud of his monorail layout at Manse Hartung; you'd be amazed at what he's got.

G.  
========================  
From: Konstantin Hartung  
To: Professora Helen Vorthys

Professora:

Yeas, I got emphatic in my text; I'll tone it down. I was in a foul mood when I drafted it; having been reading some of the dribble the Counts were spewing this week. Gha! Maybe Yuri shouldn't have stopped with the ministers when he defenestrated the lot.... put some pressure on the breed to produce some smarter Counts....

I'll rework it to make it less likely to ignite on the display stand..

Yrs, K

========================  
From: Guy Allegre  
to Gregor

Simon was carrying THAT upstairs all these years?!?!?

Oh, my dear lord.....

=============  
From: Gregor  
To: Guy

Yup.

No, I won't allow you to undergo a Cetagandan Mind flush..... Not until you retire.

G.  
================  
From: Auditor Count Miles Vorkosigan  
To: Gregor

Oh, BARF.

memo to self, send Simon a case of Maple Mead, STAT.

Now I really know why Mother or Father never regretted caring for Bothari....

Miles  
=======================  
From: Simon Illyan (I'm RETIRED!)  
To: Gregor

You sent Guy and Miles to look at the Ges Vorrutyer files, didn't you?

Naughty, naughty, naughty. 

S.  
(Evil Laugh.wav) attached  
===========================

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is as far as it goes.... unless I have a bout of edititis.....
> 
> I chased this insane plot bunny much farther than was best; into scrub and bracken, where wolves and foxes lurk. The sky is cloudy, and the wind has turned cold, best to be returning for my tea and scones.


End file.
